Do angels Fear the Reaper
by MegalomaniacUrashima
Summary: NEW Chapter 8 - things get worse (was that possible?) whole story - kei and yuri quit the 3wa and life eh, does not egt easier for them, please read and review, this is to be my ultimate story until i can make the next one.
1. Chapter 1

This is the story to establish myself as a credible fan fic writer. I have more stories to do, but for right now I give you (hopefully) the most wacked out megalomaniacal dirty pair fan fic ever (compare it to warren if you like, he's one for this idea and I'm a bit inspired by it, but this is not in the warren universe as my next fics plan to be. This is in the tv universe sorta. Doesn't matter what it's in actually. Just pointing out the level of technology of the time.)  
  
Alright then, this is rated r for language, blood, violence, emotional trauma on characters and possibly readers (freaks me out every time! seriously)  
  
You will also wait as long as I deem necessary for the next chapter and I won't say how many there will be ^^, for those who have read the 'retirement sucks' story, read this one anyways, trust me when I say. You won't be bored and you will want more (well minor spoiler, there is more to come after that)  
  
Now then The Reaper and Tektonica are mine along with a bunch of minor characters with English names (well one of em has a made up name) Anyways, Kei, Yuri and Carson are not mine and I'd love to own em but forget it ^^ I'm just a fan boy who loves writing wicked stories. Oh yeah Chris/Christopher whatever he goes by is a friend's character with permission. Story also dedicated to all of those who love pushing boundaries and buttons, keep writing the great stories I love to read ^^.  
  
--  
  
In the city of Mospeada, nation of Urameshi, Planet IG88 rested a bar. People drank themselves to sleep here. Drowning away their bad days in the subtle and not so subtle drinks provided there. The bartender was a kindly old man named Peter Fitsgerald and walking through the doors of the bar was a very angry and depressed red head.  
  
A subtle moan and then a scream, "This is fucken ridiculous!" the read head walked further into the room, her hands in her leather jacket pockets which barely covered her black sports bra. Her head was hung low enough for her rather ragged looking red hair to fall nearly in front of her face. The black bandana tied around her forehead was barely enough to keep the hair in place. It looked like some old hair style from another planet yet despite how messy or not messy it looked, she wore it like it was no big deal.  
  
She sat down upon a bar stool to the right of a chubby man who had apparently drunk himself asleep. He was wrapped up in his sweaty arms and snoring not so subtly. No one seemed to care and this red head paid no attention to him. The bartender grabbed a shot glass and washed it with a wet towel. "May I get you something, Kei?" he asked calmly. He could tell something was wrong, well the whole bar could tell. They all tried to ignore her, those who weren't drunk out of their minds.  
  
"Sake, no wait, scotch," Kei muttered and rested her forehead upon her arms. She was exhausted and looked like she hadn't slept in days. Her face was also dirtied with tears. Something was definitely wrong with her.  
  
"Alright, Kei, do me a favor," he gestured as he spoke despite the point that Kei wasn't looking, "An old friend to another, what's the matter with you? I never saw you like this before," Peter turned and grabbed a fresh bottle of scotch off the counter behind him. He poured it into the shot glass and slid it over to Kei.  
  
She grabbed it at once and downed it quickly. She growled to herself feeling the sting. She hasn't drunk alcohol in some time now, at least nothing this heavy.  
  
"Kei, what's wrong?"  
  
"She," Kei muttered, "left me," she choked out those words. She didn't want to talk about it but knew she had to.  
  
"Yuri? You two have been together since college. Heh, I can remember when we first met, you skipped class and tried to get me to sell you beer about every time you could,"  
  
"Ah shove it, Pete! She fucken left me," she looked up at Pete looking rather angry, "Damn it," she banged her fist upon the counter top, "She got married to some cute guy, she's gone, she won't see me again," she slid the glass over and tapped it upon the counter. She then looked down at her arms thinking about the past few days.  
  
"Married? Damn, I'm sure you two can see each other still," he refilled the shot glass and slid it back.  
  
"The wedding was beautiful, all I could do was cry for her happiness and my own for her, but, but, damn it," she drank the shot glass down and slid it back. "I so wanted to punch Robert in the nose, couldn't bring myself to do it though,"  
  
"She will find a house to live at with her husband, right? You could live with them,"  
  
"That's not it!" she yelled. Pete took a step back, but listened intently. "Look, Pete, she's off on her honeymoon now, meanwhile I went to the 3WA headquarters. Fricken assholes,"  
  
"What about them?" he refilled it again and continued to listen.  
  
"They," she stared into the shot glass and saw how messed up her face was, she also saw that she was still crying over all this, "introduced me my new partner to replace Yuri since she retired. I went ballistic, I couldn't control myself. I ran out of the station and left. Those last few days, I have," she drank some of the shot and continued, "no memory, I don't know what happened! I lost three days of my life," she looked up at Pete again as if to beg for an explanation. She knew she couldn't get one though.  
  
"I know what that's like,"  
  
"No, damn it, I realized how old I was. I'm 23 now. I'm old and I'm not getting any younger,"  
  
"Heh, Kei, I'm almost 40, and you are still an attractive young lady,"  
  
Kei rubbed her face at the comment, "Peeete, I don't go for oold men," she started to slur, the alcohol now set in. She drank the rest of the scotch and set it down in front of her. She put her head down upon her arms there. "I also realized something far more hurtful,"  
  
"What was that? If I may ask," Pete grabbed the glass as if to ask if she wanted another. She didn't reply to the movement.  
  
"Pete, she left me. "The Lovely Angels are no more," she went silent at the statement. The thought made her sigh. "She's gone and I was left to continue working, but I can't, I can't work," her voice grew a bit silent "without her, I need her." She looked up at Pete for a moment, "Pete, I need her,"  
  
"You were sisters bonded by friendship. I admired how you two talked and argued. I'd say you were related if it wasn't for your obvious off world nationalities,"  
  
"Any way you look at it. She was the only thing that kept me alive, kept me living, kept me moving, even kept me on track," she was definitely buzzed now, she looked up and nodded. Pete poured another. She took it and drank it fast again. "I haven't," she hiccupped, "shlept in daysh, thish might help, thanksh Pete,"  
  
"You take it easy there. The drinks are on me this time. I'm confident you and Yuri can work it out, sides wouldn't it be great if you could take care of Yuri's kid?" Pete laughed. Time sure flew by.  
  
Kei didn't respond, but Pete felt like she heard well enough. He washed the shot glass and walked over to some other customers. The guy and Kei slept there on the bar as peaceful as a drunken stupor gets. A couple hours passed and night time approached quickly. People walked in and ordered beers, sake, and whiskey. Some stayed, others left. Another hour passed and night time set in.  
  
The darkened veil cremated the night sky into an ashy gray. Footsteps approached the bar. The streets emptied. No cars would speed by, no movement would add to the clamor of the boots which drew closer. Those boots slammed the ground in casual yet strong movement. They were heard subtly by the people in the bar. They were much underrated.  
  
The boots smacked the ground with a thunderous pitch yet no one noticed how deafening they could be. Some were too drunk to care. Pete couldn't care enough to notice. The sounds of the bar served to drown out the threat which approached. They all took notice once the boots brought the figure into full sight. The shadow of night had born his most fearsome customer, the urban legend himself.  
  
People stared in horror as if deer in the headlights of a semi truck. He threw a glance at everyone in the room through the hood upon his head.  
  
"H-holy Sh, w, welcome, s-sir, the ya-usual?" Pete stammered, nearly dropping the glass upon the ground. His arms and legs were shaking in a learned response from the first time he saw this demon.  
  
"One mug of root beer, chilled as per usual, Mr. Fitzgerald," he spoke with a dire formality which spoke of intelligence and honor. The being stepped forward one slow step at a time. As he drew nearer to the bar counter, people who could move quickly did. They got up and ran out of the bar, knocking chairs and tables over. They left some of their bags and jackets behind without a thought. Some were screaming others crying with fear.  
  
They ran out of the bar as fast as they could. A few fell down and crawled out. They would do anything they could to be rid of him, to be away from this demon. His black cloak covered him completely. The hood covered his face giving his identity to no one. No one cared to know what was beneath the hood and speculation knew no end.  
  
The cloak was fully matted with dried blood with some parts splashed and dripping with blood. Each foot print was bloody making a fine mess in the bar. Pete feared for his life. He poured the root beer and set it on the counter. He then ran into the back room.  
  
Everyone in the bar may die and he did not want to be one of them. Once he got there he realized what a coward he was. Kei would be left alone with that mass serial killer and he could do nothing. He couldn't dare think about going back in there.  
  
Hours passed once again and midnight came and went. Kei had been sleeping nearly 8 hours. The most sleep she has had in a long time. She coughed and yawned. Her head was pounding. She winced in pain and rubbed her face. She felt her hand stick to her, but she didn't bother to notice anything different than the normal. She had been drunk and tried to recount all the things she said to Pete. All she could bring to mind were thoughts of Yuri and her husband in bed together. She shook her head and stretched her arms upwards with a bigger yawn. She then opened her eyes to find the room pitch black. It looked like Pete closed early tonight.  
  
"What time is it, ow," she grabbed her forehead again and decided to rough it. No one replied. She figured the room was empty. She grabbed her face and held onto it. She then got up slowly from her barstool and walked over around the counter. She took her hand to the wall looking for the light switch. Upon finding it she flipped it on and made her way back, covering her eyes. The light would be too much for her, she had to be sitting before she could see again.  
  
She sat down on her bar stool and slowly opened her eyes. The counter was stained red with a clean mark where her arms had been. "What the hell?" She looked around to see that the man who had been sleeping to her left was still there. "Guess it wasn't too," she looked over and saw a large black sword jammed into his back pinning him to the counter like an insect. "late," her eyes opened completely at the site of the impaled drunkard beside her. "w.w.w.w.what the fuck?" she stammered and grabbed at anything she could to get away from it soon ramming herself into something hard and soft behind her. She didn't bother to notice that. All she could do was to stare at the horrific black blade stained with blood fresh and not.  
  
"Th..that's the Reaper's sword, the blade of death," she stammered more. Her whole body was aching and trembling before the sight. She fell out of her stool and fell down upon the ground. "It can't be, I only heard rumors, every time I came to this planet I heard the rumors, eavesdropping, second hand, wise tales, tv, newspapers, I could never believe it,"  
  
"Funny thing, now please sit in your barstool," the voice beckoned from behind her. Her face went pale from blood loss and apparent shock. She breathed heavily and grabbed her throbbing head. After a minute or so she sat again in her upright barstool and held onto the bar counter for her dear life. The Reaper, the legendary unwanted man, killer of millions, maybe billions, traveling from planet to planet but said to of residing here the most. No one would dare think about hunting him down let alone try. Those that have tried in the past died horrifically. No amount of high end technology mattered and not even the bounty on his head could make up for the damages caused in battle. The stories knew no end and now she was sitting next to him.  
  
"W, why did you kill him?"  
  
"He was in my seat,"  
  
Silence grabbed hold of the small neighborhood bar, the Reaper as he was known, spoke up, "Talk to me Kei, you came here to get drunk right? You reek of booze," An empty mug rested in front of him.  
  
"Heh, what? How the hell you know my name?" Kei dared to turn her face to him only to see his matted bloody cloak concealing his entire body. "What the hell kind of get up is that?" she tried to laugh but couldn't ignore her shaking legs and arms.  
  
"I have been studying you and your pursuits for many years now. My cloak, I wear it not to strike fear in others, I wear it because I hate my appearance," he replied coldly.  
  
"What? Ah give me a break, everyone hates their own appearance, they are forced to live with it, you know?"  
  
"I was indeed forced to live with this," he growled fiercely. He batted the mug aside sending it to the ground behind the counter with a shatter. Kei jumped at the sound. "You fear me, don't you?"  
  
"Y, yes,"  
  
"Ha, the mighty Kei can't handle sitting next to a mass serial killer of her own kind eh?"  
  
"Who could?"  
  
"Heh, I've known a person who could, that is why I sought you out," he turned his cloaked head to her to meet eye to eye yet the cloak covered his eyes. His mouth was barely visible within the shadows cast there. "Yuri is in grave danger,"  
  
"What!?" Kei forgot her fear for a moment and tried to stand. Blood rushed to her head and she fell down upon the stool again wincing in pain.  
  
"Ha, still hung over eh? Is it worth it?"  
  
"Who are you to preach," Kei was interrupted.  
  
"I hate alcohol, my mug was root beer, a drink that reminds me of home, the home that was raped from me," he growled in a very angered animalistic tone.  
  
Kei couldn't respond.  
  
"Yuri is in grave danger, I am a warrior and my word is truth," he turned to face forward again, each movement bringing new reflections of light against the blood on his cloak. He reeked of human blood although Kei couldn't smell anything that well now.  
  
"Warrior? You live by a code? Ha,"  
  
"Yes, I have a code of honor, I live my life accordingly, now I suggest you hear me again. If gone ignored, Yuri may die a death worse than I could ever give,"  
  
"If I believed you, how could you know that?" Kei tried to regain her composer, but the hang over and his presence was making it hell.  
  
"That being, she will do it. The entire planet will be destroyed in due process. I know not motive nor care to. I know that being, she is there on that paradise planet where Yuri is at, on her honeymoon right?"  
  
Kei could only nod.  
  
"So then the final question, the most important one, you see our paths have crossed and now we meet. The question is, will you follow me?" he turned to her again.  
  
"Why the hell would I follow you? I can go save her myself!"  
  
"This demon strikes fear even in me, you would not survive without my help," he spoke softly this time. A chill ran down Kei's spine. What being could be worse than this urban legend? Whoever it was remained unknown for sometime, there was no greater bounty than the one on the Reaper.  
  
He stood up and turned around to face the doorway. He held his right gloved hand to her, "Will you follow me into hell to save your partner's life?"  
  
"Hell?"  
  
"To follow me is to know a fate worse than death, the rumors are but a mockery of the truth," he grinned beneath the hood and waited for a response.  
  
"Yuri is in danger," Kei said softly. She could hardly understand the situation before her.  
  
"Yes, the paradise planet will be destroyed, that is a promise I make out of speculation. My final battle can know no greater action,"  
  
"All I have to do is go with you and save her?" Kei looked up at him and his hand before her.  
  
"You might have to fight as well, but I won't ask of your help when it comes to that," he watched with an eerie hidden smile as Kei took his hand and stood up. The room still spun, but was getting better for Kei.  
  
"I'll go," Kei did not want to, but fate had said otherwise.  
  
"Good," he grabbed the hilt of his sword and yanked it out of the counter. The body fell to the floor and expelled more blood if that was at all possible. 


	2. Chapter 2

In space no one can hear you scream, a line that is obvious yet went forever ignored. Kei flew the small space ship she was able to buy with her retirement benefits. It had a miniature warp drive used for basic planet to planet travel in the immediate system. Now she wais to use it to depart the system to a planet this Demon draped in shadow programmed into the console.  
  
Kei could not stay quiet. "Who the hell are you really?"  
  
"You ask the right question, I shall give the right answer, I am Sir Centurion Hammerfall royal guard,"  
  
"Royal guard for whom?" Kei turned around and saw the blood had dried for the most part.  
  
"A dead empire upon a planet outside this star system, it has been dead for a long time, I know not how long. Those that sought its downfall created who I am,"  
  
"A super Soldier?"  
  
"No not some sort of cliché as that, although the one we seek to kill is such a fiend, a soldier beyond all soldiers, a being who can be anyone or anything,"  
  
Kei found it hard to understand such words. She turned to the window before her. Stars flew by surrealistically reminding her of the many days of her youth mere months ago. In the reflection she saw the shadow once again. To her surprise the cloak was removed and tossed aside. Beneath were dozens of armor from metal to padding all covering a scrawny yet well built and kept body.  
  
Kei turned around to see the rather normal, innocent looking man, a human by any other definition. He then drew his sword out all the way. It was an oily black and red much like his cloak and showed much use and chipping. She watched helplessly at him and his sword which both reeked of death.  
  
"You fear me?"  
  
Kei could not speak. Before her was the mass murdered no one in their mind wanted to take on one on one. Rumors had it said that he was a mere myth, a god of death, the reaper, the being who sought the downfall of mankind.  
  
"I see it in your eyes, Kei, you fear me. You should fear me, you should hate me, and those rumors of the countless people slaughtered are true. I know not how many have been killed on my quest but all have died with one purpose: to end mankind's existence.  
  
"But you are a human,"  
  
"NO!" he shouted. Kei nearly fell from her chair upon the floor. "I was made into a human by those hyoomons, I was not a human all my life. I was a gentle soul once, in my youth, it was raped from my body mind and soul by those monsters!"  
  
Kei swallowed hard and tried to get back in her seat. He walked forward, every movement making him seem stronger, taller and bulkier. Kei's apparent fear made him far scarier than he really was by any other observation.  
  
She sat there in her chair holding it tight. His movements spoke of her impending death even though she knew he needed her.  
  
"Kei, Yuri will die if you do not follow me, and even though you so fully wish to save your lover's soul, your own will be brutally sacrificed," he looked his blade over admiring every blood stain and deformation made upon it. His admiration was that of joy and sorrow, but only served to make him angrier.  
  
"W.what?" Kei was surprised any words came from her mouth.  
  
"I want you to know that your decision will be the gravest one you have ever made, I want you to know what kind of hell you put yourself into,"  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"Good question, I will give no answer, but I will give an explanation of this hell. There is a cycle we all live in and this cycle is the path I walk," he sheathed his sword and took a seat beside her.  
  
"Sa-Cycle?" Kei stammered. It was all she could do to get a word in edgewise. Her whole body was trembling in fear. No amount of training mattered at this point and no amount of nerve would give any support. This man, demon, whatever loved to kill and did so fluently. She was stuck with him. It was kill or be killed. Meanwhile Yuri was in danger.  
  
"Hatred, you see I hate humans. I hate humans because humans hate my kind, my people. They destroyed my people. They kill anyone they see as inferior and teach it to their youth. I hate humans enough to kill them, to save my own people I would kill all humans,"  
  
"Your people?"  
  
"They are not human. They are evolved from different animals than those primate proto humans. Any animal with proper help and time can become human like. We knew love, peace, and respect for all life," he stood up again. His teeth were clenched, his fists were clenched. His anger seemed out of control. He took a deep breath, "That was raped from me and I can never know such innocence again," he sounded furious. His voice was animalistic, enraged, sadistic, and somehow dry.  
  
They stood there staring into each other's eyes. His eyes were piercing, deadly. They look as if they've seen more death than an entire army and sought to see more. They looked thirsty. Kei watched as if hypnotized by them. She couldn't drag herself from the chair and traveling in space left little room to run. If she was going to die then let it come. Waiting for death was worse, but knowing she was needed helped a little.  
  
He stared into her eyes which spoke of fear and sorrow. She feared for everyone not only herself, he would kill her but not now, this was to be his final mission and if he should fail, she would be spared.  
  
After an hour an alarm went off nearly slicing the atmosphere of the room. They were closing in on the planet that was to be their destination.  
  
Kei turned her chair quickly to face the view screen, her hands were shaking badly yet she was able to adjust the controls.  
  
"Take us to that city there," he pointed at the screen.  
  
"Yes, sir," Kei replied unconsciously. She flew the ship towards the spaceport in Newton City on the planet Mars. It was an outpost outside the regular cities. Kei assumed he had a friend there, yet the idea of this guy having friends scared her more if that was possible.  
  
"I commend your bravery and courage, now land this ship. I must be on solid ground soon. It would benefit you greatly, to say the least." He was grabbing at his knee pads as if he was restless.  
  
"Yes, Sir," Kei replied again, after ten or so minutes, she landed the ship. The hatch was opened at once and this Reaper was gone from her sight. She breathed heavily and was glad for fresh air and more so for his departure. She rubbed her face and smacked her cheeks trying to get herself under control. She could not afford becoming an emotional wreck now.  
  
Having gotten some of her wits back she figured she'd work to get the rest. She took to the steel floor and started a round of push ups. 1,2,3, 20, 25. She tried to out do her record out of sheer exhilaration.  
  
"Excuse me, Miss?"  
  
She jumped off the ground and landed on her butt nearly hyperventilating.  
  
"So sorry, you are Kei right?"  
  
"Wh-who are you?"  
  
"Heh, sorry again. My name is Christopher. Just call me Chris, sorry about Cent,"  
  
"Cent? Centurion?"  
  
"Yeah Cent, he's a friend of mine. He had me go back and take care of you, you ok?"  
  
"Cent? Cent!?" Kei could almost laugh. She never realized that such a demon could have such a belittling nick name. She started laughing uncontrollably, an emotion she forgot she had.  
  
"Heh, well Centy works too, but he doesn't go for that cute stuff so I don't bother," he rubbed his neck at a memory.  
  
"Centy? Bwahhaha," Kei fell over laughing.  
  
"Well I'll come back in ten minutes, heh," Chris figured it would do her sanity good to get a laugh out of this. Never mind what Centurion would think of all this. He walked off back to his motorbike nearby. He put on some local music and relaxed on the ground. The sky was a lovely pink. It would be blue, but mars just wouldn't be right with a blue sky.  
  
After awhile Kei walked out of her ship and closed the hatch behind her. She looked around and saw Chris lying on the ground there. "Chris is it? How do you know Cent?"  
  
"Oh, hey, feeling better?" Chris stood up at once. He was shorter, around 5 feet. He also wore a lab coat and goggles like some sort of scientist welder.  
  
"Yeah,"  
  
"Well Cent and I go way back during the second war, back when Tektonica was well, human. Wish she still was frankly. Everything went to hell when he tried to kill her,"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Heh, I'll tell you the whole story then. Cent's off on one of his rampages, won't be back for hours. Ok, Tektonica, Cent and I used to grow up together in the same city. We were all human then, as time went on we realized something was wrong," he adjusted his goggles and continued. "Nightmares, hallucinations, visions, sound, and smell, you name it. They would haunt our every movement driving us insane. I became addicted to technology and helping people at the expense of myself. Cent would kill all before him. He nearly killed me on numerous occasions, but we were brothers of sorts."  
  
Kei listened intently, maybe some of this information could be of use, at any rate make sense of all this. Also seemed like there was nothing she could do until that walking genocide returned.  
  
"Tektonica was known as Vicky back then. She was a calm young women. So kind, we both had a crush on her. We hung out all the time. As the nightmares continued we grew closer. Cent grew angrier and saw her as human, as the enemy. I nearly got killed protecting her. As time went on she refused my help and tried to sort his nightmares out. I don't know what went on between them, but the moment he tried to kill her, she awoke."  
  
"Awoke?"  
  
"She was apparently in a default mode, her memories were taken away much like ours, I thought her for one of us. From the way she acted, from the way she carried herself. When he struck her with his sword, she didn't die. She didn't bleed. She became a demon beyond all demons, a demon beyond the demon known as the Reaper. Last thing I remember was the city being destroyed. I fled with who ever I could find. I don't know how many died."  
  
"Damn, so now they continue this stupid war?"  
  
"Yes, and now, I'm sorry," Chris got on his bike and started it up.  
  
"Sorry?"  
  
"Come with me, it looks as if he chose you to join him. I don't know why he would pick a human to join him. It is very out of character for him,"  
  
"Alright," she got on the bike and held on to him. He seemed a nice guy and she was not going to let this go ignored. He adjusted his goggles again and sped off down the runway towards the streets.  
  
"Where are we going?" Kei yelled over the noises of the streets and the wind.  
  
"I've a warehouse where I keep my inventions. I have a prototype for you to use. It's probably why he chose you to help him. He wouldn't use it in his life and I hate fighting," he yelled back. Even in yelling his voice was soothing.  
  
She never thought in her life that retiring would lead to this. It looked as if her life would never be without adventure. To think if this could ever end right she would be with Yuri and Robert looking after little Yuri or Robert or both. She would have a kid or two and she could be their aunt. She smiled at the notion having not thought about it until now. Taking care of the little ones would make this all worthwhile.  
  
The warehouse came into view and Chris parked the bike next to it. Night was setting in fast. "What is this prototype?" Kei asked.  
  
"Come, come," Chris walked through a door on the side and stepped in. Kei followed close behind and marveled at the site.  
  
There were rows upon rows of tables all covered along with the ground by all sorts of machinery and tools from across the universe. If not for the walls surrounding the mess, it would appear endless. "What is all this?" Kei asked in astonishment. She was really taken aback by all this.  
  
"My collection, it really is in order, heh. Cent gave up on me and my ways of this much like I gave up on his ways. We have our own means of dealing with insanity,"  
  
"Well, ok, but, order?" Kei tried to step over this and that. It wasn't going to be easy. It seemed like Chris handled walking through his collection without any problems. He picked up some parts and computer boards and started fiddling with them.  
  
"Yeah, it's in working order. Everything out so I can just grab stuff and make stuff. As long as I can make something and have a feeling of accomplishment, I'll be fine. The nightmares still come now and then. Even knowing the truth of my past, it doesn't stop or change anything. The damage cannot be undone."  
  
"The prototype?" Kei asked, she wanted to get this mission over with. Just the thought of having a demon worse than the Reaper parading around the paradise planet with Yuri was making her skin crawl. She could not stand that she was in danger and she couldn't be there to help her out.  
  
"Yeah, just wait a min or two, sorry about this," he continued to fiddle with the device until a shock resounded. More like a zap. It was subtle so Kei was not alarmed yet a flash came from in front of Chris's body.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"Huh? Oh I just electrocuted myself again, I didn't even notice hehe, thanks,"  
  
Kei sweat dropped in exasperation at the response. This guy was a real goof ball. After sometime sifting through the piles, Chris pulled out a box that was locked tight. He struggled to get it open without much luck. It looked as if he didn't have a key for it.  
  
"Need help there?" Kei bent down and put a hand upon the box.  
  
"No that's ok, thanks," he tried to pry it off with some rusted pliers.  
  
"It's ok, I can get it," Kei offered.  
  
"Heh, there's no need for a pretty lady like yourself to do this when a man can, right?"  
  
Kei blushed at the comment and tried not to laugh. This guy was unbelievable. The moment was interrupted at once. A large gloved hand had grabbed her by the back of the neck and lifted her off the ground. 


	3. Chapter 3

Before she could react she was thrown aside against a wall a yard or so away. She hit it hard but was uninjured. She looked on to see Chris was tossed aside nearly running into some of his scattered parts and contraptions. He appeared to be alright.  
  
The box was sliced open in one strike of a sword and the sword was sheathed again. "Shall we continue, Christopher, Kei?" he growled.  
  
"What the hell are you doing?" Kei got up sounding very furious.  
  
"Don't yell at me, Hyoomon, I was being merciful. I won't let it happen again," he walked out of the room and soon left the warehouse for the night once again.  
  
"You hurt, Kei?" Chris got up and walked over.   
  
"No, are you?" Kei walked back over to the box meeting him half way.  
  
"No more than usual, he was checking in on us. Well that's how I translate it anyways," Chris got down and lifted a black cloth from the box. It looked like a cloak much like the Reaper's yet it was perfectly clean and there were no sleeves.  
  
"Blood?" Kei looked at her hand having placed it at the back of her neck without much thought.  
  
"Yeah, it happens," he shrugged.  
  
"How can you be so,"  
  
"Look, Kei," he interrupted, "I would love to save all of those humans out there even though I am not a human myself. They are living beings and what their relatives did to us has nothing to do with them. I can't do a thing to change his mind. Nothing I can say will matter. I couldn't even protect Vicky, Techtonica, whatever her name was. I'm weak, I pain for them, but being hurt does not let one live easily, I ignore it for my own health. I do help them when I can though. Every little thing is worth it. Helping those in need makes my life feel right. Even if they are to die soon because of my friend, I don't regret anything,"  
  
Kei looked on as he defogged his goggles. He whipped his eyes, "I may never see you again after this, so I want you to know something. No matter how evil Cent may seem, deep down he is like me, like you. He is a living being, a mortal. He has the right to live and die just like us. I know not if he could ever know love and frankly I feel sorry for him. I know the addiction all to well. It is stronger than any drug, any drink, any thrill. It is like breathing. If you don't do it, you will die. Actually it is not death that comes. It is unspeakable torture and pain from within. Like training a lion with a cattle prod, but that's not saying much at all."  
  
Kei nodded and began to realize what would drive a being insane like that, but even after all this known. It would not save Yuri. It would not be enough to save herself. She had to play along until the moment she could drag Yuri and Robert's butts from the bed into a ship and escape the planet for their new home on IG88. They had friends there. It was the best place to be.  
  
"We are a doomed race of anthropomorphic beings trapped in human bio-reengineered human bodies. We do what we can to survive even though every day of living is hell for us." He handed the folded cloak to Kei and shut the sliced box. He shoved it aside and took a seat on a metal casing unit.  
  
"What is this?" Kei looked it over.  
  
"I was able to take a sample of Techtonica's technology and rewrite it into a body suit. Her body is made up of near infinite amount of nanites,"  
  
"Nanites? Molecular machines? We only have those for healing right now and only for the rich at that,"  
  
"The technology of this planet before the Dreadnought was launched. That is the reengineering etc. It was far superior to most places of today. It would of started a whole new way of life across the universe theoretically, but it was to be used for specific purposes and no one outside the planet were to know about it. That's my speculation anyways," he grabbed some computer boards and started fidgeting with this and that. He pulled a welding knife out of a pocket and started playing with the circuits. Smoke came off of it.  
  
"What would a being with that many nanites do?"  
  
"She isn't human, she isn't anthropomorphic. Frankly she doesn't give a care about any living being. Whether that's Cent's fault or her original programming, I know not. All I know is that she can be anyone or anything. She can change any limb into any device on her memory."  
  
"That's what Cent meant," Kei thought for some time, "Can she be defeated?"  
  
"I have no idea, but if anyone can do it, it's you and Cent. This cloak of sorts will help, I think. Just put it on. I've tested it on myself earlier. That's why Cent locked it in the box," he explained.  
  
"Ok," Kei unfolded it and put it around herself. At once it adjusted and readjusted itself until it gripped her body like a cat suit. She felt like she was a scuba diver. "What happened?"  
  
"Just adjusting to your body's uh contours," he tried to choose his words carefully.  
  
"What about my clothes?"  
  
"Assimilated, just give your new suit commands, it will regenerate them. They won't be the same, but you can't tell the difference,"  
  
She thought of her jacket and it reappeared just as it was before she put the nanite cloak on. "This is incredible technology,"  
  
"Cursed technology as Cent puts it. Techtonica might not be mortal. Her powers are very similar, but I don't know how well this copy can handle against her. She may even be able to absorb your suit leaving you uh, defenseless," again he chose his words carefully.  
  
"Well, I'll do what I can to save Yuri."  
  
"Yuri? Who's that?"  
  
"My partner."  
  
"Partner, uh, sorry."  
  
"We used to work for the 3WA."  
  
"Oooh, the Lovely Angels, right?"  
  
Kei bout fell over backwards in shock from his guess.  
  
"Or was it the D."  
  
"Angels, Lovely Angels, you had it right," she said in a spurt of laughter.  
  
"Oh, cool, heh," he laughed to himself and continued welding circuits together on the board.  
  
"So how do you work this thing?"  
  
"Just like you did before, think of it and it will comply. I installed a great bit of weaponry and armor into it. Uh, one moment," he tossed the board aside carelessly and opened the box. He got out a pad of paper from the bottom and handed it to her. "Glance through this, it has various UG, 3WA, and other legal and illegal weaponry and armor cataloged in there."  
  
"Ah, great, thanks," she glanced through it to find laser rifles, old blades, pulse cannons, sound cannons, rocket launchers, rail guns, shot guns, oozis, machine guns, etc. "Plasma gattling gun? What the hell?"  
  
"It's a very evil weapon, capable of destroying near any armor, and every building. Use with caution. Also know that she loves that weapon," Chris cautioned.  
  
"Alright, near any armor?" she looked through the notepad some more.  
  
"Energy deflection shields might work for some time, but I recommend getting the heck away from it."  
  
"Did Centurion ever go up against that gun?"  
  
"Yes, don't know how he survived and don't care. After I saw that initial fighting, I got the heck out of there. I'm thankful I did."  
  
"Alright, fully automatic mid size, pulse cannon, right arm," Kei called aloud. At once the armor on her right arm grew until such a weapon appeared. It only took a few seconds, but was fun to watch. "Heh, ok, 3WA standard Gravity Wings," with this said, two wings stretched out from her back allowing flight. "Grav wings uh,"  
  
"It's an intelligent system, just use whatever sounds right," Chris was fiddling with another circuit board.  
  
"Ok, Grav wings, return,"  
  
"If it's faster you can just think to yourself, mastering the system should give you quite an advantage. Well, best you can get,"  
  
"All I want to do is save Yuri, she's a very good friend of mine. She'd die for me, but I can't stand to have her die without me. I want to be there to save her no matter what."  
  
"Yeah, I can see that, but to be on the same path as Cent is not a wise decision. He will do what it takes to relieve his pain. I can't imagine why you survived this long. Must have been hard on him," he sighed softly.  
  
"On him?"  
  
"Well, I'm sure Centy was hard on you too, sorry for that."  
  
"Centy, hehe, don't worry about it, I'm ok. Well, for now anyways."  
  
"Spend the night practicing. It'll be along flight to that paradise planet anyways."  
  
"Paradise planet? Nexus?"  
  
"Yeah, thanks, I forgot the name."  
  
"How do you know she's there, heck, how the hell does Cent know?" she continued to read through the list of weapons and armor.  
  
"Well, we sometimes talk about this and that over some root beer, nothing special. I don't stay up on the news of the universe, but I hear this and that from people and him."  
  
"Heh, alright, I guess," she got up and stretched. "I'm going to head out now, thank you for everything, Chris."  
  
"Heh, no problem, glad I was able to help."  
  
"Heh, you take care then, I'll come back in an hour or so."  
  
"Alright."  
  
Kei walked through the mess nearly tripping a few times. Upon reaching the doors she signaled the device to launch the grav wings. She lifted into the air and flew across the street. She remolded guns onto her arms and the suit engulfed her face. She was completely concealed now. A few thoughts later and the electronics allowed her to see clearer than ever. The night became day and targeting was a dream.   
  
She formed some large empty cartridges from the missile launcher weapon and set them on a roof top nearby, flying over to the other side she targeted them, a few shots later and they were all taken out.  
  
"Heh, try a moving object."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Get your ass down here," Centurion shouted. He didn't sound too angry though.  
  
"Fine," she landed softly a yard in front of him and returned the grav wings back into the suit.  
  
"Alright," he unsheathed his sword and charged at her with it. She almost fell on her back from the sight of him attacking her. "What the hell are you doing? Block the attack, you coward!"  
  
Kei jumped back and called upon an arm shield and parried. The metal of the armor was cut, but she was uninjured. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Look, if you can't handle me, Techtonica will slice you into ribbons and reform you into a sweater!"  
  
"You sound like you talk from experience."  
  
He would not reply as if to say he did, he lunged again half heartedly only to be blocked with as much skill as Kei could use. "You better get your ass in gear. I'm barely doing anything here!"  
  
"Barely?" Kei reformed a bladed weapon which molded and remolded until it was as strong as it would allow. She parried his attack and tried to punch him only to have her arm grabbed, flipped, and slammed to the ground.  
  
"Kei, you are not being serious about this!"  
  
"Serious?" Kei was flustered. She didn't realize how rusty she was being. Was it the fear? The past week's events? She had to be rid of those it seems.  
  
"Fine," he helped her up. "Pray to whatever god you foolishly worship that you'll be able to fend for yourself. Techtonica has my anger or worse, an unending lust when desired and your powers or more. This final battle will not be pretty."  
  
She got up and was thankful he let go of her hand. She had to get to Nexus and soon. "When will we depart?"  
  
"In the morning, you've a few hours to rest, use them however you wish,"  
  
That night Kei refused to sleep, she fought and trained against imaginary enemies. She aimed to combine everything learned at the 3WA training and on the job training. She near worked herself to exhaustion.  
  
Standing watch from the doorway was a half asleep warrior. His cloak was covered in blood having never been washed. It was left so in honor to those he chose to sin against. He waited minute by minute for dawn to come upon the Martian surface.  
  
The last remaining minutes of night approached and the moment of night's darkest black. Centurion opened his eyes and tossed back his cloaked hood to see Kei kick high and fall upon her back. She has worn her body to the limits and more than likely needed a break.   
  
Light shot across the far side of the city. It engulfed the darkness of night with a brilliant red glow. The sky watched the ground with a bloody eye. This was the only dawn the Reaper ever enjoyed. He looked on until the deep red became a subtler pink. He put his hood back on and stepped forward.  
  
A sword ripped from its sheath in a false rage followed by a slam on the ground ending with a fierce grin. Kei stood beside him having had barely a second to dodge.  
  
"Satisfied?" Kei asked.  
  
"Never, but for your sake, that had better of been a good thing," he replied.  
  
"Dawn has come," Kei added.  
  
"The night that comes may be our last," he walked back into the warehouse. Kei walked in after him. She watched his every move. He, even ignoring his image and history, walked with an eerie evil prominence which spoke of righteousness. She hated herself for getting into this.  
  
This cycle of hatred could never be broken and now she was walking the path behind a philosophical psychopath with dire justification for his extinction of the human race.  
  
"Christopher Wulf! Get your ass out of bed!" he yelled with the force of a drill sergeant.   
  
"Cent? What is it?" Chris rolled out of his hammock and fell upon the ground beneath him.  
  
"Cent?" Kei thought. She didn't know what Centurion thought of his rather demeaning nick name. She recalled the many ways she confronted her own hated nick name. Judging by this, his reaction could prove all but apocalyptic.  
  
"We are shipping out in an hour, meet me at the local bar in ten minutes. Bring the 'angel' with you," he smirked and grinned beneath the shadow of his cloak.  
  
"Alright," Chris replied. He actually looked sad for once.  
  
"One last drink before the battle?" Kei asked agreeingly.  
  
Centurion didn't answer. He left the warehouse once again. Chris walked over with a slight frown.  
  
"Something the matter?" Kei asked.  
  
"It's the day I feared the most, let's go," he walked off after his friend with Kei close behind. This was the most unsettling moment Kei had felt yet. She didn't know what to make of this situation. They would depart soon and Yuri would be saved. Kei trusted her friend to be alive just to keep herself moving. The thought of her dieing alone only served to make her hate herself for not being there. She would go there and set things straight.  
  
The bar was run down and empty except for a scared bartender.   
  
"Mr. Jones, three mugs of root beer on the house," Centurion grabbed a bar stool and slouched in his seat. As regal as he was, this was most out of character.  
  
"Y, yessir," the bartender replied, he had apparently seen him often, but could never get him out of his mind. He looked ghastly as he poured the drinks.  
  
"Three?" Kei took the seat to his left like back on IG88. It must have been burned in her subconscious. Chris sat to his right and watched him with much concern. Kei couldn't understand how they could be friends.  
  
"Yes, this is to be my last visage, my last drink before my journey's end," he stared at the mug before him.  
  
"I've never been fond of the drink," she let each word drip off showing reluctance to make the comment.  
  
Chris slid the drink aside much to Kei's concern.  
  
"You two have no need to partake in my visage. The cycle of hatred is my path to walk. You are but unfortunate pedestrians along for the ride," he took the mug in his hand and sat upright. He smelled the drink as if it was some sort of wine. With this, the being known as Centurion Hammerfall spoke, "I as the last warrior of the royal guard take this drink and its memory of home with me to my final battle. I will not drink of this again. I may not live to see another wretched peaceful night and pacified horrific dawn," with that he drank a few swallows and sat the glass upon the counter. He stood up and left the bar at once. Each stride was with full rigor and poise. His presence shook the area around him. People ran in fear outside and cars took other routes hurriedly.  
  
Kei turned to Chris whom just wiped his eyes. "You ok?"  
  
"I won't ever see him again, I won't ever see him or Vicky. I'm as good as alone now," he smelled his mug, thinking about having a drink.  
  
"You have the humans; make a business out of your hobby. Be happy," with those words Chris smiled again and set the mug down. This visage was not for him after all, but with what she said Kei was stricken near heart broken. Yuri found her happiness with Robert, to hate her or him for it was beyond wrong. She would do anything for those two now.  
  
"Kei, Chris," Centurion stood at the doorway once again. Both stood up. "The time has come," 


	4. Chapter 4

Preparations went under way. Kei watched with compassion and curiosity as Chris and Centurion shared a short but not meaningless hug. It seemed like they would never again be comrades in this war.   
  
She was also happy that she could finally be on her way to find Yuri. No telling what dangers she might be in or what dangers that Techtonica could produce. Chris then walked over and gave her a hug. "Come back sometime if you are in the neighborhood," he smiled. Kei nodded with a smile of her own.  
  
"I might just do that," Kei added.  
  
"Enough, we march, Techtonica grows restless," Centurion muttered.  
  
"You mean you grow restless," Chris added just loud enough for Kei to hear.  
  
After a few more moments of preparation, they headed for space. The dead of night wrapped around their small ship once again and in a couple days' time they would hit Nexus.  
  
--  
  
Kei scratched her head and stretched her arms, "I'm getting a shower."  
  
"Fine," Centurion spoke from under his cloak. He was seated and looking rather statue like. The sight of him still drove Kei's skin up the walls.  
  
In the bathroom she disengaged the skin tight nano armor and folded it on the sink next to her. She then turned on the water and got in. The water splashing off her back brought up memories she tried to forget, of missions and situations in the past.   
  
Yuri was always there for her and she was always there for her in return. Being apart like this was wearing her down day by day, but at least that would be solved in time.   
  
Right now she was working with the greatest killer the universe had ever known and she was scared of his true intentions whatever they may be. He fights a war that may never end. All these years gone by there are colonies and planets of humans all across the galaxy. The latest combined census guessed at 100 trillion people, give or take 50 billion. How can one man, well one deranged yet noble being kill them all one by one with his antique sword?  
  
She didn't know what to think about that. All she wanted to do was to save her good friend. All too often dire circumstances mounted up. Hell after hell faced them and they never were paid enough, but this time was far different than any before. They quit the 3WA and now they were living their lives on with or without each other. A time feared for many years ever since school together where they met and became great friends.  
  
She walked out of the shower now freshened up and ready to take on the universe once again. She felt younger even. She decided to make sure of something.  
  
She wrapped a towel around herself and walked back out to where Centurion was sitting, no the Reaper. "Cent, uh Mr. Ham,"  
  
"Speak," he remained unmoving on his chair.  
  
"What will we do when we get there?"  
  
"We will search and destroy,"  
  
"What?" Kei tightened up the towel she was wearing.  
  
"You search, I destroy. Techtonica will plague me no longer after this final night!"  
  
"I see, well I don't want people to die needlessly,"  
  
"Those humans will not die needlessly," he growled under his breath.  
  
"I don't want you to just kill them for no reason," Kei pleaded a bit.  
  
"I always have a reason, Kei."  
  
"Your war is with Techtonica, not the innocent humans. What their relatives did has nothing to do with them!"  
  
"It is a curse."  
  
"Curse?"  
  
"Humans are a disease plaguing the universe. They are the ones who will seek its downfall, not I. I will make you one promise and my word is law."  
  
"I'm listening,"  
  
"I will not kill those pathetic humans for what their relatives may have done to my people, I will not kill them for the reasons I have killed so many. I will also do another thing as a covenant to the promise," he stood up and threw his cloak aside. He then glanced over at Kei and just stood there.  
  
"Alright, thank you, um,"  
  
"Get some close on! Damn woman!" he turned around and sat down again.  
  
"What, ah, for crying," Kei was flustered and frustrated at the comment, she then left for the back room to change. She grabbed the nanoarmor and set it to her jeans and a t shirt.  
  
She walked back over to the pilots chair and sat down, after an hour or so she decided to bring it up, "You find my body unappealing?"  
  
"Did you forget what I was?" he looked over at her from his chair. "You take me for a human, foolish, if you must know," he stood up and walked over to her. In a low animalistic tone he spoke into her ear. "I prefer my women with fur and a tail."  
  
"Right," Kei tried not to think about it too much, "I'm sorry."  
  
"You needn't be any sorrier than you already are, that goes for all humans," he spoke frankly.  
  
--  
  
"Your passports please," a drone spoke from behind a window at the Registrar's Center. It was in orbit around the planet. It was also nicely lit, well fortified and armed station which made sure no one got there for free.  
  
Kei handed over the passports which soon allowed them to proceed. They took a small ship and landed it outside the main dome.  
  
Kei looked up at the immensity of it all. It was as incredible as she remembered. She had gone here only once before after a very hellish mission. She wished she was that young again, but that was only an afterthought.   
  
"Shall we proceed?" Centurion asked.  
  
"Of course," Kei replied. They walked through the gate and showed their passports once again. The man there eyed the two of them. Centurion was in full body armor and had a sword at his back. Kei was in a rather sexy bikini crafted from the nano armor which was partially camouflaged as her own skin.  
  
"Something wrong?" Kei asked and took Centurion's arm in her own.  
  
"No, carry on," the man gestured them to proceed.  
  
Centurion ripped his arm away and gave her an evil look, "I will be on my way. You find a terminal or something. Unless of course you know where she's staying at."  
  
"I'll handle it, you just keep your promise," Kei smiled. To think they might be able to do this mission of sorts without casualty.  
  
"Ok, terminal, there's one," Kei thought aloud as she walked over to it. Upon arrival, she quickly searched for where Yuri was staying at. "She's not far away, heh." The lights went out, people screamed in shock.  
  
Centurion was no where to be seen. Kei looked around in the darkness trying to figure out what happened. The entire main dome was pitch-black. The only way to cut power completely was to take out both generators on the ground and hack into the main orbiting satellite. Only one thing came to mind. Their cover was blown.  
  
"What the hell's going on?" Kei shouted. A man screamed from behind her. Blood sprayed and dripped from Kei's body. She armored up at once becoming as black as the scenery. Only thing visible here and there were the stars above. She looked around in the night. She dared not to turn on the night vision.  
  
There were no moons to cast light and the domes have yet to turn their power back on. The backups must have been severed as well. People screamed and ran. Some ran into her and scrambled to get away. Others fell to the ground having been trampled. Kei waded through the crowd only to have more blood sprayed upon her from another dead human. They were taken out one by one as they ran. Kei had no idea who could be so sadistic or systematic.  
  
"I'm going to regret this," Kei said as she put on the night vision option. People were running for their lives. One by one the humans were slashed and cut to pieces in a primal fury. "Reaper! Where are you!?" she blasted into the air. Her voice was strong and unyielding. She was furious for once and had no idea what she would do next. Her personality and instincts have taken over her fear.  
  
He did not respond. People continued to run. Their blood started flooding the ground. People slipped and fell only to be sliced apart.  
  
"REAPER, SHOW YOURSELF!"   
  
Only response she could get was the screams from the people fleeing. She watched the crowd and realized Yuri could be in there somewhere. She could have been trampled to death if not brutally murdered.  
  
"Yuri, are you here?" she shouted. She landed amidst the crowd scanning for her face, nothing showed up. She waded through the crowd towards the massacre only be hit hard with a sword. She hit the ground uninjured but deathly angry. She realized her suspicions were right.  
  
She stood up and started pushing people away from her. The Reaper stood before her completely drenched in the blood of humans. His face was completely red and dripping with blood.  
  
"You broke your promise,"  
  
"OUT-OF-MY-WAY!" he shouted with sheer fury, he has become the Reaper in its truest sense.  
  
"NO! I will not stand for you to kill so many!"  
  
Without a word, without hesitation he slammed his sword down upon her, she parried with her own blade only to see it crack. Centurion's sword as antique as it was, still thirsted for blood and had strength to spare. "I can't save Yuri if you kill her!" Kei tried not to let her emotions overwhelm her. She had to be strong as always. She had a mission and right now she was in trouble.   
  
She threw him backwards and healed her blade, she brought out a second one as well. She moved into a battle position with powerful blade on each arm.  
  
The Reaper spoke, "Look you vile excuse for talking meat, if you don't stand with me, you stand against me!" he growled in a very animalistic tone. His body was quivering in anger as he brought his sword now dripping with blood into a fighting stance once again.  
  
Kei tried to reason with him, "I will not have you killing people because of this petty war, they did nothing to you!"  
  
"They exist!"  
  
"We all exist! We all live, we all should live!"  
  
"We don't deserve to live!" he charged forward bringing the sword down hard upon her armor. The force of the attack busted the formed arm shield and went straight to her arm nearly cutting it off if not for her pulling away in time.  
  
"Damn you!" Kei brought her own blade to arms and swung it as best she could at him.  
  
"I'm already damned, meat!" he struck the blade and busted it off and then struck another death blow.  
  
People continued to run in fear. Centurion parried an attack from Kei and pushed her aside. He then tripped a human and lobbed off her head as she fell. Blood sprayed both of the combatants.  
  
"We are the same," the Reaper mused.  
  
"No we are not!" Kei spat back at him. She lunged forward again now regretting bringing him here. She only wanted to save people and now they were being massacred. She thought this being for being honorable, but he is only a demon as the rumors said. She would have to correct that mistake.  
  
"Kei, is that you!?" a voice called from a yard away. She had long blue hair and ragged clothes.  
  
"Yuri?" Kei turned only to have a blade strike her in the arm. It broke through the defenses once again and sliced her arm. She fell to ground in shock and pain. Now her blood joined the river at their feet.  
  
"Vile, wretch!" The Reaper pulled his sword back as he stepped towards Yuri. Kei caught a glance and ran forward.  
  
A strike, armor and flesh pierced and then flesh once more. Kei fell to the ground when the sword was removed. Yuri stood their holding her wounds that would be fatal. She only laughed.  
  
"Your sword is weak," Yuri's voice changed as her body shifted and remolded. Her skin became blood and then blood red armor. Her face became a flat panel. True evil is faceless.  
  
People continued to run in fear. The screams never stopped. Most of these rich folk have never known fear.  
  
The Reaper gripped and regripped his sword at the sight of his greatest nemesis.   
  
"My, isn't this entertaining?" Techtonica cackled. She marveled at the humans scurrying around the them. "Not entertaining enough," she reformed her arms into rocket launchers and fired blasts at the crowd. People were incinerated instantly. After a few more blasts the screaming stopped. Bodies burned where they once ran.  
  
Kei held her wound which bled freely. She was weakened and dieing, but not fast enough to keep her from moving. She fought to get to her feet.  
  
"Still able to fight?" Techtonica laughed.  
  
"Bitch," Kei coughed up a bit of blood.  
  
"Centurion Hammerfall, I'm sure you know who I am, the one that slayed your father before your eyes. You were what? 10 years old then?" she laughed having ignored Kei entirely.  
  
His eyes would flash red with rage having been reminded of his nightmares and his inherent reality. "Get out of here, Kei," Centurion ordered.  
  
"What?" Kei turned to him. She was just about to shout back at Techtonica.  
  
"Get out of here before I kill you myself!" he turned to her and struck his sword down upon the ground before her.  
  
Kei rocketed away to find Yuri, still holding her wound. She hoped to have armor help some how. She super heated her right hand and burned the wound closed. Modern medicine would serve to help her plenty if she survived this. Right now, she was deeply furious and not understanding of the situation. The situation was about to get worse.  
  
"Hehe, sending the puppy away are we?" Techtonica mused.  
  
"I hate humans."  
  
"Enough to forget about the most important thing?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"That the beings you knew as your own kind are all humans now, and that you have slaughtered more of your own kind. More than I ever did in that black war?" she laughed out loud at the idea.  
  
"What?" Centurion took a step back.  
  
"You nearly killed off all of your own kind!" she shouted.  
  
"Damn you!"  
  
"I was always a damned being upon the day I was created. I could care less who lives or dies anymore. They can all die!" she reformed her limbs into gattling guns and aimed them at him.  
  
"All we have left is death," he grinned and licked the blood that dripped passed his lips. 


	5. Chapter 5

"Yuri!" Kei shouted. If she were dead it wouldn't matter anymore. She decided to not even bother looking at the bodies. The bodies, they were everywhere. Limbs were blown to all areas of the dome. On the wall of the dome, blood dripped in incredible amounts. She had never seen so much carnage in her life. She never saw what a horrendous death really was. To think she used to cause such things along with Yuri.  
  
"Yuri, where are you?" she shouted again. From behind her she heard the sound of a constant rate of fire power. It sounded as if it would never end. She couldn't imagine how the Reaper could survive such an assault, but it kept going and going. The noise drowned everything out, even her thoughts. She headed over to what used to be a housing district. Where once was dozens of pricey hotels now rested craters and death.   
  
The gattling stopped. This made Kei edgy, but she kept to her mission. Kei ignored the thought and shoved a wall of a building aside. A rocket smacked her in the back and exploded sending her through the building's walls which soon collapsed what was left of the building upon her.  
  
"I'm not dead yet, Techtonica!" Centurion stood up again and wiped the blood from his face. His armor was ripped up and his sword was chipped otherwise he was still in great fighting condition. He ran forward and struck his sword through Techtonica's back and out the other side. "Pay attention, bitch!" he growled.  
  
"Hehe," she altered her form so she faced him now. Her metal body moved with the ease of blood. "Foolish, mortal," she smacked him aside, the sword ripped from her abdomen without any injury. "Show me what you can do!"  
  
Centurion adjusted his footing and charged forward. The blade shot through her body cutting her in half. Liquid metal blood poured from the enormous wound and healed the damage near instantly. He growled and struck again and again.  
  
"Pathetic, mortal weapons don't effect me!" she hissed and batted the sword aside with her arm to have it cut off from her body. It hit the ground soon returning to her body. She grew another arm. "Pathetic, like I said."  
  
"You were created by human hatred, you don't deserve to exist, die!" Centurion charged forward again and struck the blade down from her head to the ground below. She healed the wound like before.  
  
"Human hatred? Guess what else I know!? Humans created your species! Not a god, not your Aurora!" she hissed again.  
  
"Aurora?" Kei shoved rubble aside and watched them from afar. "Damn that blast hurt," she checked her abdomen for any further injury. She would live.  
  
"Die already!" Centurion struck her again and again. Nerves upon nerves were struck and his fury now knew no calm. She formed armor which busted, guns which were destroyed. Everything she did to block or attack him and his blade failed as he struck again and again with incredible speed and strength. Her limbs bled and repaired again and again.  
  
"This is better, hate me, and rage against me, may your soul burn in hellfire!" she screamed and formed limb like extensions from her back. They arched up and formed new weapons.  
  
"Wait, those are rocket launchers, what?" Kei was cut off. A huge blast shot upwards into the sky. The dome shattered sending glass shards raining down upon them. Huge chunks sliced through buildings, through the bodies on the ground and deep into the ground. Kei rocketed and started shooting at them. They shattered and spread like waves of water.  
  
Techtonica continued to block the assault with her arms and laughed in a vicious tone that was no longer human. She was enjoying the battle greatly.  
  
"Yuri, please don't be in this dome," Kei prayed.  
  
Rockets spread, glass fell, the grid holding the glass started to melt and collapsed. Some broke off and fell. Enormous grid iron stuck out of the ground. Kei watched in horror. The planet really wouldn't stand up to this much destruction. She rocketed forward and pulled the rod out of the ground. She shot and dodged glass as she headed for Techtonica once again. Huge shards stuck in the ground to her right and left, she plowed through one that landed in front of her. The domes aided the climate controls given off by the weather satellites. This was a very expensive resort laid to waste.  
  
She grabbed one of the rods sticking out of the ground and in a fierce move she slammed it down upon Techtonica. "Where is Yuri, you bitch!?" she cried out in pain and anger. Techtonica's body deformed and wrapped around the rod. She soon returned to normal and pulled the rod with enormous strength. She then spun it around and launched Kei into the far wall and through it along with the rod. Kei managed to toss it aside before hitting the ground.  
  
"Yuri, I'm sorry," she cried from within her helmet and hit the ground. She slid on her heels for much of the distance. She then hit the ground hard. Her body tumbled end over end like a rag doll until finally coming to a stop a half mile away from the dome.  
  
The entire dome was aflame, no one screamed, no one to cry. The dome was shattered and crumbling. Entire buildings were completely destroyed. The ground was filled with the glass from above and cratered from the rocket blasts and other arsenal.  
  
The Reaper fought on, his body broken and bruised. He slashed and busted weapon after weapon. Techtonica grew two more arms and tried to form more weapons only to have them taken out as well. She rocketed away from him a few feet. He stopped attacking and tried to catch his breath.  
  
"What are you doing?" he asked.  
  
"You are a worthy warrior despite your lack of technology," she scoffed. Her body bled forth and built up. Her body grew taller and limbs became bulkier and stronger. She had lost no strength from the battle and now only gained strength. She stood twice as tall after a minute or two. She laughed. Her technology was truly amazing. Nanites could be grown from within reservoirs made of nanites themselves. She could theoretically become any height or size. With much planning, she could be the exact replica of any living or non living being or thing. Her body blasted steam into the air through vents all over her body from the growth.  
  
"So we fight anew?" he asked.  
  
Techtonica could only laugh, she was in control. Nothing could stop her. A lightning blast shot down from the sky and struck her with an incredible amount of energy. Her body made of pure nanites stood there as still as a statue.  
  
"What the fuck?" Centurion shouted in anger. He wanted to fight to the death. How the hell could a lightning blast destroy his opportunity? Lightning was computer controlled, someone else was here now, someone with incredible stupid bravery.  
  
A ship landed outside the dome, two women ran from it and entered. They stopped upon seeing how bad it really was. The damage was incredible. They fought to ignore it and the smell of rotting, burning bodies.  
  
"Who dares interrupt my battle!?" Centurion shouted. He was as furious as ever.  
  
"Lovely Angels, we're from the 3WA. Stop this fight at once! Too many have died already!" a woman shouted.  
  
"I don't give a shit, what are your names!?" he shouted even louder.  
  
"I'm Riza, this is my partner, Jade," Riza said as they drew closer. "Now stop before we are forced to kill you as well."  
  
"Go ahead and try bitch!"  
  
"Bitch? Bitch!?" Riza screamed. She couldn't believe someone spoke to her like that. She aimed her rocket launcher on him. She adjusted her night vision goggles.  
  
"Wait, don't be hasty, Riza," Jade pleaded.  
  
"Shudap, Jaded," Riza fired the blast right at him. It was a perfect shot.  
  
"Ha!" he struck his sword against the side of the rocket knocking it off course, it exploded off to the side knocking him over and the statue down upon the ground. The shell cracked and bled soon reforming a new body. The lightning had only stunned it.  
  
"Shit," Riza muttered to herself.  
  
"I told you not to be so hasty, Rizzo!" Jade ran forward with her EMP gun handy.  
  
"Damn you, Jade!" Riza ran forward as well, she loaded up another round and fired off a few blasts this time. Centurion ducked and dodged them. One was sent right back at them blasting them away from each other.  
  
--  
  
"Yuri," Kei pleaded to the ripped up concrete below her. Her arms and legs were broken. She was bleeding from within the armor and in herself. "Suit, damage report. Great, still works as good as ever. I hate the idea, but heal me if you can."  
  
The suit gave off nanites into her wounds and into her body, soon fixing up her wounds piece by piece. She lay there deeply ashamed of herself. She led a demon to this planet with no hopes of finding or saving anyone let alone Yuri and her husband.  
  
"Where are you!?" she asked the air. She got no reply. "Damn it, grav wings, lift off," she flew in the air, her body still healing. "I will kill both of those demons if it's the last thing I do!" she flew at full force across the plain and through the broken wall and to the battling warriors. She grew plasma gattling guns around both of her arms and huge vents at her back to circulate the heat given off by them.  
  
"Plasma gattling guns? Hehe, almost forgot I had those," Techtonica mused. An EMP blast struck her in the back as Centurion struck her in the head with his sword. She bulged and convulsed horrendously as the EMP short circuited most of her nanites. They soon recalibrated and healed each other. She batted Centurion aside just as the plasma streams shot down from the sky.  
  
"Holy Sh!!!," Riza was cut off by Jade ramming her body into hers. They hit the ground. Glass ripped up their bare arms and legs, but the plasma streams would be worse.  
  
Beams of blue struck the ground completely incinerating it. Concrete burned and melted before its impacts. Kei was thrown backwards by the blasts. She combined the steam given off and her grav wings to compensate. The energy charge was dropping.  
  
"This is how it's done!" Techtonica stood in the middle of the blast. Her entire body was melting and blown apart only to heal and reform in a liquid blood state. She blasted the plasma beams of her own back at her. Kei stopped firing and sped away. The blasts ripped up what was left of the dome. She fired a rocket back at Techtonica to have it blown away like a gnat.   
  
Techtonica reformed once again. She was hit with another EMP blast only infuriating her. She fired a rocket at Jade. Riza shoved her aside and blasted the rocket with her own, the blast sent them tumbling. They landed against dead bodies. Blood covered them along with dirt and shrapnel. They almost wanted to quit their new jobs.  
  
"Jade, c'mon, we haven't lost yet! All we are doing is biding time. The UG are rescuing everyone they can."  
  
"I know, I know," she helped Riza off the ground. "We should have declined this mission like everyone else did."  
  
"I know, but we have the greatest agents ever to shadow us. We can't back out now!"  
  
"I know," Jade commented. Riza grabbed another clip and loaded it into the chamber. Jade charged her EMP gun.  
  
Kei landed on the ground amidst the rubble. She tossed some aside. She was delirious now. "Yuri!" she screamed.  
  
"Yuri?" Jade turned to the form far off in the distance.  
  
"You think that's Kei over there?" Riza asked.  
  
"Let's go," Jade opened up her grav wings and flew over. Riza supplied cover fire. "Hey, are you Kei?" she asked.  
  
Kei didn't respond right away. When Jade landed by her she took notice, "Who're you?"  
  
"I'm Jade, this is Riza, we're the lovely Angels now," she smiled.  
  
"She doesn't look like Kei," Riza commented.  
  
Kei removed her face mask leaving only goggles much like what the 3WA use. "Have you seen Yuri anywhere?" she asked.  
  
"No, sorry, she was on her honeymoon right?" Jade replied.  
  
Riza turned to them and tried not to laugh, "That sucks!"   
  
Rocket blasts filled the air. They soared at incredible speeds towards the three. "Behind you!" Kei screamed and returned her helmet of sorts. She fired off a machine gun trying to take them out. There were too many though. Jade and Riza sped backwards while firing off rockets and EMP blasts. Half were destroyed leaving the remaining ones to explode and send the three flailing backwards into another building which collapsed down upon them.  
  
"Damn it," Riza fumed, Kei threw part of the wall aside. "We are out gunned, out matched and anything we use on her means nothing!"  
  
"If we had her technology, we could probably hack her," Jade thought aloud.  
  
"My suit uses her technology, but I doubt it'd work. I'd have to get up close. Centurion there won't let me get close either."  
  
"Centurion? You mean the Reaper?" Riza asked.  
  
"Cent, uh yeh Reaper, sorry, never mind," Kei fumbled.  
  
"You know him?" Jade asked.  
  
"Uh, for short while, yeah, we uh, met at a bar, I don't want to talk about it. Please help me find Yuri, she's here somewhere. I hope," she threw more rubble aside and stood up. Her body had mostly healed by now.   
  
"Kei?" a voice called from in the rubble behind her.  
  
"Yuri? Damn girl where are you?" Kei cried.  
  
"Over here," Yuri spoke weakly. Kei shoved the rubble aside and found her wrapped in Robert's arms. They had stayed in their room the entire time. They had no intention of joining the rest. Yuri knew what fear was and she did not give into it. She stayed with her husband.  
  
Kei hugged her tight ignoring Robert whom just moved aside. Rockets and plasma filled the air once again. Light flickered from the blasts allowing them to see just a bit. Yuri winced in pain but hugged back.  
  
"We need to find a way out of here," Jade remarked. She and Riza were surveying the damage. Looks like they could leave just about anywhere except for in the air.   
  
"Yeah, no time for pleasantries," Kei nodded and let go. She patted Robert on the shoulder and took to the sky with her grav wings. "I'll distract them. You two get them out of here!"  
  
"Fine," Riza bit her lip and grabbed Yuri. Jade grabbed Robert and shot into the air. They fled through the dome wall closest to them. Kei shot down rockets and plasma blasts thrown at her.   
  
"Damn, he is still alive after all this? How can a mere sword put up with a demon like that?" she fired off some rockets trying to provide cover fire. She looked behind her and saw that they got away safely. "Good, now for me to get out. Damn this is all screwed up!" she turned and fled.  
  
Minutes later that Lovely Angel took to the sky only to be fired upon. Kei flew up with it and grew a missile launcher. She fired off some shots.  
  
"Kei, we're not leaving without you!" Yuri shouted through the com link.  
  
"I know, but if I don't end this, it won't end!" Kei shouted back.  
  
"What is she doing?" Jade asked.  
  
"What do you think? She's going to kick some butt! I'm going to help!" Riza flew the ship higher and charged the main gun.  
  
"Riza, wait!" Jade and Yuri shouted with concern  
  
"If the main gun can't take them out, nothing can!" Riza shouted back. Although she may have been right, Jade knew she only wanted to fire it.  
  
"Now to finish this," Kei flew forward at full speed, she dodged projectile after projectile. She fired off a round of rockets from her sides and prepped her arms for sound weapons.  
  
"You dare interrupt our war?" Techtonica shouted.  
  
"You let us go and I'll leave you alone!" Kei shouted back.  
  
"Alright, I admit it, I find you fun to play with," Techtonica mused.  
  
"Get the hell out of here, meat!" Centurion growled. He was holding his left shoulder, but still stood as defiant to die as ever.  
  
"You've done enough already, what meaning has this war?" Kei was interrupted by a huge charged particle blast which struck Techtonica directly. It was the Lovely Angel's cannon. The blast sent her and Centurion backwards into the rubble on the ground.   
  
Upon knocking the rubble aside, all they could see was a crater a puddle of blood. The whole area was covered in the blood of those unfortunate to be here at this time.  
  
She looked on hoping that was all it took to defeat her. Then again if a lightning blast couldn't take out a machine, what could?  
  
The puddle that was Techtonica glowed and reformed slowly. Kei growled and formed a rocket launcher. She fired a blast ripping a section of her away. She grew more and more and rocket blasts only delayed the inevitable. Kei reformed other weapons and fired them at the globular form. It shielded itself from the blasts as it grew from the opposing side. Soon the body was whole and a smirk would appear on her face if she had one, "Not enough!" she remolded her right arm into a long range pulse cannon.  
  
"No!" Kei fired off her plasma gattling gun once again ripping the long range weapon apart. Techtonica remolded her other arm into a cannon and aimed again this time at Kei.  
  
Centurion grabbed his sword and charged Kei, "I said, if you don't leave, I'll kill you myself!" he shouted.  
  
"Jade, Riza come in, get the hell out of here, you are being targeted!" Kei spoke through a com link she created.  
  
"How'd you get our frequency?" Jade asked.  
  
"This was our ship," Yuri sighed.  
  
"They changed the frequency though," Jade added.  
  
"I don't care, we're leaving!" Riza grabbed the controls and pulled away. Two huge blasts barreled next to the hull inflicting no damage. The blast shot up into the air and blew apart one of the weather satellites. It soon broke orbit and fell to the atmosphere. The sky became engulfed in red as it entered the atmosphere. "What happened?"   
  
"Well, great, Rizzo. The satellite's going to hit the dome now," Jade responded.  
  
"What dome? It's gone!" Riza tried to defend her actions. She pulled the ship out of range and turned it around for another shot.  
  
"You firing again!?" Jade went to grab the controls.  
  
"They are firing again?" Kei half closed her eyes at the idea.  
  
The particle blast fired hitting Techtonica directly once again. She grew taller and remolded into a long range particle cannon the shot having been adapted to and used for a fuel source. Her entire body was the cannon. She charged up a blast, lighting up the area around her.  
  
"Damn it!" Kei ran forward and thrust her arm into her side. She attempted to hack her body. Both quivered and vibrated, bulged and convulsed. They were attempting to hack each other. The charged blast grew stronger having not been stopped. "I will not lose to you!" Kei growled and fought to hack further. She was running her entire system into the attack.   
  
"Fool," Centurion growled from behind her with sword held up high, "Hacking does nothing to her, I may hate technology, but I know a great deal about it. She would just route you to a different part of her body sealing you off from the actual weapon!" he struck her arm that was doing the hacking and all but cut it off. Kei fell over backwards in pain, her arm now limp beside her.  
  
She watched as Centurion stared at her from above. The look on his face was enough to strike a bear dead in fear. It was seen as the cannon fired. Kei tried not to look at him, tried not to look at his eyes. He struck the blade down hard. Kei managed to roll aside barely dodging it. It was by reflex alone.  
  
The Lovely Angel landed once again having sustained damage. Jade and Riza rushed across the fields and into the broken dome with their recharged Grav wings. "Kei , like it or not we need to get out of here before the ship is permanently destroyed!" Jade shouted.  
  
Riza fired off a rocket blast blowing Centurion aside. He prepped for another attack.  
  
The cannon remolded into a multi pronged cannon, soon multiple energy blasts threw themselves into the sky. Finally the being started reforming to normal. "I'll take that section back now, Kei" Techtonica smirked in her own unseen way. An amoebic tendril wrapped around her body and started to pull off the suit. It was easily hacked. Kei laid there naked broken and beaten, her arm was bleeding badly. Jade and Riza grabbed her and lifted her into the air. Riza provided cover fire as the satellite drew closer. It would hit soon turning the entire dome and miles around it into a giant crater.  
  
"Damned insects, heh, shall we finish this, Centurion?" Techtonica asked.  
  
"I promise you won't see another dawn," Centurion charged forward once again with his sword only to be blocked.  
  
The lovely Angel fled the planet on impulse having need for repairs to their warp drive. They headed for the armada of UG ships that managed to save at least half of the people. Kei watched weakly through the window as multiple satellites struck the planet. The pin point drops cratered the surface causing it to crack open. The tectonic plate soon cracked and spewed magma into lava in an attempt to save itself. The whole side of the planet was completely covered. The largest clean up job ever.  
  
"Enough, no more, please," Kei pleaded. She held her arm in pain. She was covered in a blanket as Jade tended to her wound. Yuri was sitting with her husband. Both were badly burnt and injured, but could wait treatment at the next planet.  
  
"No more, please," Kei pleaded again.  
  
"It's over, Kei," Yuri spoke up.  
  
"Over?" Kei didn't sound so sure.  
  
"Look that being was made completely of tiny machines, magma would melt it faster than it could repair itself," Jade tried to comfort her.  
  
"No, she could fly, she could grow new limbs, she could chase us," Kei cried more.  
  
"No, Kei, we are not her enemy. The Reaper is, they are fighting to the death. They are both gone," Yuri added.  
  
Kei couldn't reply. She would sleep the rest of the way to the hospital.  
  
--  
  
Upon arrival, Kei and Yuri held onto each other as they walked down the path. Jade and Riza followed hoping to help in anyway they could. Kei was back to normal now and remembered all that happened. She remembered that those two were the ones who got their ship and also were the ones who brought down the satellites by accident.  
  
"Kei, can we do anything at all?" Jade asked. Riza folded her arms and yawned.  
  
"No thank you," Kei thought for a moment, "Dirty Pair!" 


	6. Chapter 6

On the planet IG88 where Kei and Yuri decided to live out their days, Kei sat in a chair beside Yuri's hospital bed. Yuri had just come out of the ex-ray room and had her arm and leg put in a cast. She was looking very upset having had her honeymoon turned into a living hell. She didn't even have anything to do with it. Well, she hoped she didn't.  
  
She lay there in the bed with her eyes glued on Kei's saddened face. Yuri was furious and could do very little to console herself let alone for Kei to do anything. Upon Kei's lap were the petals of some flowers Kei had bought for her. The fluffed flowers were now scattered all over the floor having been flung back in an outburst.  
  
"Yuri, please hear me out," Kei pleaded.  
  
"Look, Kei, my head was shaved thanks to fire that you caused by bringing that nutcase there, my husband is undergoing skin grafting to recovered from the second and third degree burns he received upon saving me from the destruction that you caused by bringing that nut case over, my honey moon was ruined because of all this! What more do I need to hear?" Yuri ranted.  
  
"I'm sorry, I couldn't do anything differently then how it went,"  
  
"You could have saved me on your own!"  
  
"I would not have stood a chance against that demon. Both of them would have my life in a second or yours,"  
  
"But bringing them together is what caused all this, didn't you figure that out while you were flirting with him at that damned bar you mentioned?"  
  
"I was not flirting,"  
  
"Look, Kei, I don't care, this has, damn it, Kei this has all gone to hell for me! What do you expect me to do about it?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Y.."  
  
"It's Mrs. Suzuki!" she clenched her teeth. Kei looked up in shock and then back at her hands and then feet. She stood up to leave. "Where're you going?"  
  
"To work, I need to," Kei didn't finish her sentence. She wiped her eyes with her free hand and left the room.  
  
"Kei, come back tomorrow, ok!?" Yuri called after her. She hoped she wasn't too harsh. After a few minutes of silence she realized she was too harsh. She looked at the petals on the floor beside the bed.  
  
--  
  
A half hour later Kei got out of the taxi and headed into the bar she got a job at. It was the same bar Pete owned. After all that happened, this was a place of refuge for her. She decided to enjoy it even though her arm was still in a cast from that sword attack. It would probably leave a scar. She had already gone through multiple blood tests. She had no idea how many people he had slaughtered with that blade and frankly did not want to know.  
  
She walked passed some people talking and went behind the bar. She grabbed a glass and put it in the sink behind her. Out of the corner of her eye was the one thing that made her feel very old. Sitting, flirting, and chatting with a man who looked too good to be true was Riza. Kei could have sworn she was watching herself on TV.  
  
"Let me get this straight, you single handedly took out the entire red serpent smuggling operation?" he mused.  
  
"Heh, yeah I kicked their asses here to Mars! Was a lot of fun," she grabbed her drink and found it empty, "Mind getting me another?" she asked sweetly.  
  
"Sure," he got up and walked away. He stopped when he saw Kei's face. She was dry and not amused at the scene. "You, ok, Miss?" he asked.  
  
"No, say, Mr. hot stuff, you know who that is?" she asked.  
  
"She would be Miss Riza Fonte, she said she worked at the 3WA," he smiled.  
  
"Yes, and did she say her code name?"  
  
A watch alarm went off and Riza ran out of the door for her motorcycle. Her partner had just called her. It was an emergency.  
  
"Uh, damn, she ran off, code name? No she didn't actually, why?"  
  
"Never mind, best you don't worry about that," Kei yawned and walked over to another customer.  
  
--  
  
"Jaded, you idiot! I was having a great date, why'd you go and get us another mission!?" Riza shouted through the com link as she rode her motorcycle across town. She was headed fro the space dock where the Lovely Angel awaited.   
  
"Listen here, Rizzo, this mission was not of my choosing. Chief Gooley along with the Central Computer chose us for this mission. We are the best for it and we must take it right away. I told you not to go off on some stupid date in case something like this happens!"  
  
"What's the mission?" Riza gave in.  
  
"A terrorist has hijacked a United Galactica heavy cruiser and taken the crew hostage. General Sheevus is on that ship!"  
  
"Damn, that old man still alive?"  
  
"He won't be for long if you don't get your butt over here now!"  
  
"I'm at the damn space port already, shudap!" Riza cut communications and headed for the ship.  
  
A few days later Kei was seated once again with a bouquet of flowers she bought with her latest pay check beside Yuri's bed. Yuri took them and looked them over.  
  
"Thank you Kei, I'm sorry I was so upset,"  
  
"No, you were right, I wasn't strong enough to find a better," Kei was cut off.  
  
"Kei, drop it, that doesn't matter any more. We have new lives to love now. Sides my hair is coming back!" she laughed as she ran her fingers through the stubbles on her head.  
  
Kei laughed as well until a massive explosion a few miles away tore the good mood away from her. "What the hell was that?" she stood up and ran over to the window. She stared in horror as a shock wave raced towards them. She turned around just as the window was shattered. Glass rammed into her back leaving Yuri unaffected.  
  
After everything settled down, the power was restored and everyone left alive were up in arms trying to recover from the blast.   
  
Kei turned her back to the window just as the shockwave struck. Glass flew in shard and stuck to her back. A few hit hard enough to shed blood. She winced until the destruction stopped.   
  
"Are you ok?" they asked each other. The power went out for a moment and the back up generator kicked in. A nurse ran into the room and soon left upon seeing that everything was relatively ok. Suddenly the pair felt outside themselves.  
  
Destruction, collateral damage, untold casualties. If that blast hit any closer, they might have become a statistic.  
  
Kei took her shirt off carefully and pulled it over her cast. "How's it look?"  
  
"A few cuts, I should call a nurse in," Yuri offered.  
  
"No, they'll be busy, can you do it?" Kei sat down on her bed.  
  
"I guess,"  
  
--  
  
"Damn it, you ok?" Riza asked. She pulled herself out of the wreckage of the UG cruiser.   
  
"Yeah," Jade moaned and grabbed Riza's hand. They were soon free of the wreckage. Jade looked at her leg and found it badly cut. It had been a clever trap. The hostages survived while the ship was locked on auto-pilot.  
  
They attempted to fix it, now they were lucky to be alive.  
  
"Another casualty count," Jade sighed.  
  
"Forget it, Jade, we have company!" Riza grabbed her blaster and hid in the wreckage. An insect like drone ship flew over. It was a UG model.  
  
"Riza! That's not the enemy!"  
  
"Use your gun scope on it!"  
  
Jade aimed her gun and got a good look at the serial number on the other side. It was in code and only certain gun sights could read it. The drone flew out of sight to turn and make another. "Same model as this ship."  
  
"Thought so, this terrorist aims to take us out," Riza commented.  
  
"I need to get this treated, soon," Jade held her leg. The wound was getting worse.  
  
"There's a hospital a few miles ahead, I'll try and get us over there," Riza watched the drone fly out if sight again and picked Jade up in her arms. She ran down the street which was littered with ruptured concrete and shattered glass. After a few blocks, Riza spotted an abandoned car and tossed Jade inside.  
  
Back in Yuri's room, "This just in, the downtown area has been struck by a United Galactica cruiser. The cause, damage and causality counts are not available yet. Stay tuned for more information as we can provide it," the newscaster explained on the TV. Kei sat there as a nurse bandaged up her back.   
  
"A UG cruiser eh?" Kei thought aloud.   
  
"Hang on tight, Jade. There's the hospital!" Riza bounced the car up and down with each enormous rupture in the concrete. Jade had wrapped some cloth tightly around her wound, but the jarring proved a problem.  
  
"Can't you take a different road?" she whined.  
  
"All these roads leading to the hospital are messed up deal with it!" Riza barked.  
  
"Uh, Riza, behind you."  
  
"What?" she looked in the review mirror. Three UG squadron type mobile assault suits were hot on their tail. The middle one took aim and fired. Riza jerked the car away and narrowly dodged the blast.  
  
"Explosions?" Kei walked over to the window to the street down below. Three UG suits and a speeding car were heading for the hospital 5 stories below. "Yuri."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Looks like we have company," Kei sat down in a chair and sighed. A moment later an explosion rattled the building.  
  
"What was that?" Yuri asked.  
  
"You know what it was."  
  
"A rocket launcher?"  
  
Kei nodded.  
  
People ran in fear, nurses closed doors. The fire alarm was set off followed by water sprinklers. Kei ripped the plastic curtain off the window and tossed it to Yuri. Water fell down upon them for a minute or so and stopped.  
  
"What's going on, Kei?" Yuri tossed the wet curtain aside.  
  
"The Dirty Pair."  
  
Yuri blinked at the comment. Another explosion rocked the building. "One down?"  
  
Kei nodded. This was almost scaring them more than the battle at Nexus. Their life passed before their eyes and ears in surround sound, vibrating seats and visually if they cared to look. It was very unsettling.  
  
"You going to go out there?" Yuri asked.  
  
"I guess so. I wish I had a gun though."  
  
"Heh, I know what you mean. They used to appear whenever you needed one."  
  
"I'll just have a look around." Kei put her wet shirt back on and dragged the chair behind her. Another large explosion jarred the building. "I'm going to regret this." She opened the door just as a speeding tro con flew by with her grav jets flaring. Behind her were two speeding UG suits. Rockets flew by, walls were obliterated. Kei flung the chair into one of them, they both slammed into the wall opposite her and tried to recompose themselves.  
  
The other trocon finally caught up, her leg was in a cast. She fired shots at the two UG suits and destroyed their jets. They returned fire only to have the first trocon come back and slam a rocket launcher into them. Kei had shut the door only to have it and herself flung across the room in the explosion. She tossed it aside and groaned.  
  
"Damn it, Rizzo! Don't kill them! We need to know where they stashed General Sheevus!" she complained. Yuri cringed at the attitude in her voice.  
  
"Hey, Dirty Pair!" Kei shouted in anger.  
  
"Dirty!?" Riza opened her eyes wide and went to shout back, but stopped upon seeing who it was.  
  
"Get them the hell out of here! No fighting in the hospital, you morons!" Kei bitched.  
  
"Yes, Ma'am," Riza muttered and drug a suit to the wall that had been blown earlier. They both rocketed outside and carried the suits to the ground below.  
  
"Kei, you alright?" Yuri asked.  
  
"I hate feeling like how people felt about us!" she sat on the bed and shoved her open hand upon her face.   
  
"Heh, well, could you see if my husband is ok?" Yuri requested.  
  
"Yeah, sure, be right back," she sighed and left the room. Her hair and clothes were soaked and drying, her cast was damaged although her arm seemed to have survived. Her back was a mess from the glass and worst of all, she felt old. She would be lucky to survive whatever mess the new pair would cause. 


	7. Chapter 7

Just so you know, you ain't seen anything yet hahaah  
  
---  
  
"Hey, Yuri, you doing ok?" Kei walked into the room and closed the door behind her. She had a bag of groceries in one arm. She had gained a bit of weight which came with age, but also stayed true to a regimen of exercise and martial arts. She meant to stay in shape for all the right reasons and for the sake of habit.  
  
"Yeah, thanks, Kei," Yuri had gained quite a bit of weight as well, such as what came with a new baby on the way. The honeymoon wasn't fully interrupted it seemed. Her hair had grown back as well much to her delight. She always loved her long hair. On her last birthday, Kei bought her a new brush.  
  
Life had been quiet and peaceful long enough for the two to get used to it, well three. Robert was off at work having long since recovered from his burns. He had to undergo multiple procedures, but it all paid off.  
  
"I'll put the news on," Kei walked into Yuri's room and grabbed the remote. The news came on at once. She then walked out of the room and put the groceries into the fridge and cabinets. The apartment was small with a few rooms. The TV was in Yuri and Robert's room while Kei had the guest room next door. There was also a kitchen and a bathroom. They would get their own house, but this was a city much like old Tokyo, very crowded and this apartment did not come cheap.  
  
"Here's the latest news on the new Dirty Pair," a newscaster adjusted some papers infront of him and continued, "A space station has undergone decompression and faces a complete loss of life, the United Galactica have sent troops to secure and save all life they can. No word yet on the conditions of the Dirty Pair at that incident, now here's Joan with the weather."  
  
"Heheh, I laugh every time. I also feel sorry for them, having our reputation and all," Yuri smiled. She was lying in bed with a bunch of pillows to support her.  
  
"Cruel irony indeed, I almost laughed the moment I called them that. Eh well, it's not so good for the universe. To think the next set of Angels could have been better than us. They seem much the same," Kei spoke from the room next door.  
  
"Well, we weren't all that bad. Say, Kei. You miss those days?" Yuri asked. She adjusted some pillows.  
  
"Frankly, yes. All the exploring of countless cities, space stations, planets, new food where ever I go, new men where ever I go. All the action I could desire, now all I have left are the memories of my training, well our training. Say Yuri, you going to get back on the training anytime soon?" Kei finished putting the groceries away and walked back to the doorway.  
  
"I'm a little busy now," Yuri lowered her eyelids at her good friend.  
  
"Heh, well I'll get you back into that training in due time then."  
  
"Allright."  
  
--  
  
"Riza what the hell did you do!?" Jade yelled at the top of her lungs through the comlink. She was sounding completely afraid. At this time the decompression started. A massive explosion had shaken the station. Jade was trembling a bit. She had never been in a situation like this before and nothing could prepare her for this. They have fought pirates, convicts, and terrorists, but at this time they were only following up on a complaint. It was going to be a small sight seeing mission. Now the station sounded as if it was going to suffer a meltdown.  
  
"It wasn't me!" Riza yelled back. She ran down the corridor as shutters lowered overhead. She was trying to get to the source of the explosion to see what happened.  
  
"I'm on my way to the site, meet you there!" Jade added. They both ran from their respective locations. Already people were fleeing in escape pods and alarms were sounding off all over. The dark hallways flashed with red lights.  
  
"Already there!" Riza answered back. She tried to sound confident in this mission. No matter what hell would face them, they always came out of it with few injuries and a massive casualty count, they even joked that they would do missions to overshadow the original Dirty Pair. Take a few more thousand lives, save a few thousand more, whatever the case may be. They even had the latest in technology to help them. They equipped themselves with space suits especially designed for maximum mobility and combat. They were newly issued to investigative agents such as themselves.  
  
From out of nowhere a voice shot through the dead of space from within the massive area of ground zero, only two words were heard, "Dirty Pair," A chill went down Riza's back at the sound of it for more than the obvious reasons. She never heard this voice before. It was as if it sounded from within her body. Some sort of psychic force perhaps.   
  
Jade appeared with a laser sword in hand which lit up the room. Now the carnage could be seen a bit easier. Every thing had been sucked out into the dead of space. People, boxes, entire rooms had been gutted. This side of the space station was beyond repair. The extent of the explosion had ruptured walls nearby and it looked as if more would rupture in time. Any counter measure set to prevent this explosion had failed horrifically.  
  
"Dirty Pair," the voice spoke again from all around. Its intensity and foreboding nature was no weaker or stronger than before. It felt a lot stronger to the two agents though.  
  
--  
  
"Hey, I'm home early," a voice spoke from the door way of the apartment. Robert had let himself in. He had a bouquet of flowers in his hands and a big smile on his face.  
  
"For me?" Kei put her hands together and faked a blush along with a goofy smile. She grabbed the flowers from him at once. His happy demeanor dropped a bit at the sight of Kei putting the flowers in a vase nearby.  
  
"Kei," he said softly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Fine, I'll just give this to Yuri then," he shrugged and walked past her for the bedroom.  
  
"Ok," Kei got a glass of water from the sink for the flowers. They were bright purple lilies, very rare and quite pretty.  
  
"Hey, honey, I've a present for you," he walked into Yuri's room.  
  
"Ah you shouldn't have!"  
  
"Eh don't say that, hehe," he scratched his head with a feint smile. It had cost him a week's paycheck to get it, but he'd be ok in the long run.  
  
Yuri took the package and opened it to find a hand gun. "What?"  
  
"Heh, Kei stole the flowers from me, her loss," he tried not to laugh. He was lucky he ever got into this situation, men never stayed long in the lives of the infamous dirty pair. Some got shot, others arrested, and others just vanished for whatever reason.  
  
"Heh, she thought she was funny eh?" Yuri smiled. "I'll just keep this then, thank you," she got up a bit and kissed him on the cheek.  
  
"Heh? What you get Yuri?" Kei asked from the door way.  
  
"Nothing, hehe,"  
  
"Ha, Robby, you cheapskate!" Kei teased.  
  
"This just in, the decompression of the space station has gotten worse, the United Galactica forces may not make it in time. We have a drone camera watching the incident live. I'll be giving a commentary," the newscaster spoke.  
  
The picture changed to a long range view of the entire space station, half of it was completely destroyed. The camera zoomed in closer to the wreckage.   
  
"I see fighting in the middle of the screen there, looks as if whatever caused this explosion was quite powerful and continues to launch whatever arsenal it has. I would assume it was some sort of rogue battle mech or a group of well armed terrorists. No word yet on the condition of the agents sent in there. This just in, the 3WA will not say for sure who it is sent there and will neither deny nor confirm the existence of the dirty pair being there and that we should call them the Lovely Angels."  
  
"Dang, they never did that for us!" Kei clenched her teeth together at the remark and shrugged. "I'm going to get off to work. You take care of her now!" Kei grabbed a coat and left the room.  
  
"Yes, Ma'am!" Robert replied. He then took a seat next to Yuri's bed and grabbed the remote.  
  
"Leave it on, it's ok," Yuri said meekly. She was getting a bit tired.  
  
"Heh, ok," he pulled the blanket over her better.  
  
--  
  
"Jade, are you there?!" Riza yelled through the comlink. She received no reply, only static. "Jade, damn it! Where hell are you, girl!?" she was starting to get worried. This would sometime happen on a stark mission, but it never ceased to scare her. It was the feeling of dread that she hated the most. She then scanned the structure best she could with her onboard controls.  
  
Missiles flew over head along with barrages of plasma blasts which continued to shred the station. She did all she could do to hide in the rubble from them. Options were running out. Time wasn't helping either. "Damn it, Jade, don't do this to me!"  
  
"Dirty Pair," the voice spoke again.   
  
"Who the hell are you?!" Riza yelled out of frustration.  
  
"Hehehehehehe," the laughter filled the entire room, a sick twisted laughter that meant to drive Riza insane.  
  
--  
  
"Hey, Phil," Kei said as she walked into the bar. Phil was an old friend of hers. He came by here often just to chat with her.  
  
"Hello, Kei, guess I beat you here this time," he turned a bit from his barstool and watched her make her way behind the counter.  
  
"Yeah, say, you want the usual?" Kei grabbed a clean mug from the back wall.  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Alright, one double espresso for the taxi driver," Kei smiled. Life wasn't so bad after all.  
  
--  
  
"Shut the hell up!" Riza fought her own building emotions and flung her self out into the clearing. She fired off shots from her rocket launcher hoping to take the bastard/s out. Entire sections exploded all around her as she spun, but the perpetrator/s was nowhere to be seen. She could sense nothing but the dead of space, not even her partner came up on the scanner.  
  
"That all you got?" the sinister voice spoke from within her own head once again.  
  
"Damn you!" Riza pulled out her blaster and started firing all over. The station continued to fall apart as sections burst from decompression. One shot sent light out into the dead of space. The illumination made her fear even more. What couldn't be stared her in the face.  
  
A limp space suit floated eerily off in the distance. It was not the basic model for personnel of this station. Riza looked around and scanned with her helmet controls once again, hoping the coast was clear enough to move. She flung herself over to it ignoring her fear. She ignored all judgment.  
  
--  
  
"Kei," Pete walked in from the back room seeing that she started her shift.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"I've been thinking about retiring, you know. Move off this planet to some resort town. Do some fishing, some golfing, work as a life guard at some beach."  
  
"Sounds great, well, for a guy."  
  
"Thing is, you think you would be able to take over for me? I could hand over the bar if you feel you can handle it."  
  
"Heh get back to me in a month or so, I'm still enjoying the free time," Kei laughed and poured another beer for a sappy customer.  
  
"I'll see you around," Phil slid a tip over the counter and got up to leave.  
  
"Sure thing, Phil, take care,"  
  
"I will, you watch your back now, Angel," it was the only flirt he'd ever allow himself to pass her. He had his share of love lives over the years and had no real intention having another. It was more than enough just stopping by now and then.  
  
"Heh," Kei just laughed the remark off. The first time he used it, it took her off guard, now it was just a pleasantry between them.  
  
---  
  
Another huge explosion shook the station and the dead of night for a brief moment lit up clearly. Riza looked on at the limp space suit before her. Her fears were true. The face mask had filled with blood. Injuries caused by massive blade cuts and decompression. She shook the body gently without much thought. No response could be given back. Jade wouldn't annoy her again.  
  
Riza's eyes went wide and she fell into a rage far past the power of her adrenalin from the combat. She turned to face what's left of the station.  
  
"Dirty Pair," the voice spoke again.  
  
"Pair!? You killed my partner you bastard!" she rocketed off into the clearing again. The area was only getting larger as the station threatened complete destruction. Before her stood something that was camouflaged by the darkness. The veil of night wavered as if some sort of wind caressed it. Slowly the veil became shredded and blades appeared in the aftermath. This veil then surrounded her.  
  
"Dirty Pair," it spoke again. "Die!"   
  
Riza fired off shots all over the place until she ran out of rockets. Entire walls exploded. This being took none of it. Metal spikes shot through her arms, legs, chest and abdomen all at once completely ripping her apart. Limbs were pulled from their sockets and liquid blood became bubbles. They flooded the area around her. She strained in her last moments to see who the hell was doing this to her. No face can be seen, whatever it was, it wasn't human.   
  
Blood poured out her eyes, ears and mouth and everything became a blur. Riza's body floated limply as her partners. The blades had retracted into nothingness.  
  
"Dirty Pair," the voice spoke again.  
  
--  
  
A few hours later Yuri woke up to the sound of her husband's rare events of 'freaking out'. She had first seen it when the techshifting demon completely destroyed their lodge on the paradise planet. He had saved her from the initial destruction. Yuri had to drag his butt out of there afterwards.  
  
"What is it?" Yuri yawned. She placed a hand upon her abdomen. Only a few months were left now.  
  
He could only point to the television. The newscaster looked as if he were sweating bullets. "The space station has been completely destroyed in a fiery inferno. Rescue workers were taken in the blast. A second team has been sent to pick up the pieces. Speculation has it that the two agents sent there did not survive the assault. I will get back to everyone with further information on the situation."  
  
"That's terrible," Yuri blurted out. "They trying to out do our bad reputation or what?" Yuri couldn't help but see similarities between them.  
  
"I don't know, dear, sorry for waking you though."  
  
"It's ok."  
  
A few hours passed by dryly. Some bad sitcom begging for an audience followed by some anime that made absolutely no sense whatsoever carried the time. The news came on once again.  
  
"Two bodies were found amidst the wreckage. 3WA agents have confirmed our speculation. The Lovely Angels have been brutally slaughtered in the incident. More info after the break, anyone have a glass of water?" the screen quickly changed to an advertisement for anti alcohol pills.  
  
"Holy shit," was all Yuri could say. She couldn't believe her ears. 


	8. Chapter 8

"Oh hey Yuri," Kei answered the phone. She had been working as a bartender for a few years now, and the tips were only increasing. It was a pretty nice job after all despite the ruffians who would appear now and then. One time a big fight broke out (no thanks to the dirty pair) and she kicked all of their butts. Even the pair went home sore. Kei got a great laugh out of that, although Pete was not happy losing some customers in the process.  
  
"What? Damn, that's not right," Kei flipped the channels from porn to news. Some of the guys complained. She just glared at them to shut up and sit down. They complied without a fuss; they knew what Kei's anger meant for them.  
  
Kei couldn't believe the news and had to hear it for herself.  
  
"Funeral arrangements have been issued for the Lovely Angels. They will not be held accountable for this failed mission and I apologize personally for calling them by their unpleasant nick name, here's the picture of the station once again."  
  
Kei went silent for some time. Yuri knew she was still there though. "Kei?"  
  
"Yeah, sorry, lost in thought. You have any idea what could have done this?"  
  
"No," they both watched the live footage. The entire station was completely ripped apart along with numerous United Galactica cruisers and heavy cruisers.   
  
"Frankly if something could do all that, it's not dead yet," Kei thought aloud.  
  
"I know," Yuri said softly. "I gotta go, see you later, Kei," Yuri hung up the phone and got out of bed slowly. Robert helped her off to the bathroom.  
  
"Well guys, drunks, you see how hard missions are for the angels?!" Kei shouted trying to hide a tear from her eye. Scenes of carnage from her past missions came to mind. Any one of them may of meant their death, now seeing this on the news, she realized the news might as well be reporting their own demise. She was very shaken up.  
  
The room was silent, some were saddened, some happy but refused to show it. Many were too drunk to care.  
  
Kei grabbed a bottle and ripped the cap off. She drank down a third of it and slammed it on the counter, so much for giving up drinking.  
  
--  
  
"We are gathered here today to commemorate the Lovely Angels Jade Inoe and Riza Forte with the purple-heart and pay tribute to two great agents. The purple-heart is a prestigious award given to those killed on a mission. This award was passed down by the United States military since before the galactic war and the foundation of the United Galactica army. Then it was meant for those wounded or died in battle. Although I was not there to witness the mission, I will assume they fought with everything they had to take out whatever devil sought their and the station's demise. They will be known as the Lovely Angels not for pity on the unfortunate situations and apparent reputation, but because that is their code name and they deserve it. I will now hand it off to Kei and Yuri who we were fortunate enough to escort here today," Chief Gooley stepped off the microphone. Kei pushed Yuri's wheel chair over to the microphone with Robert close behind.  
  
"Thank you chief," Kei spoke, "I've watched many months as they grew up, they greatly reminded me of us. Riza Fonte was every bit of the hot headed, brash individual as I once was. She nearly out drank me one day at my er my boss's bar. I know first hand how horrible missions can be and often death would stare me in the face. I rarely laughed back to be honest, I just did what had to be done and hoped our reputation wouldn't get any worse. My heart goes out to all those who have suffered under our and their internment. I also hope this will go to show that we do the best we can, I will always remember those brats," Kei wiped her eyes and stepped aside.  
  
"Well said, Kei," Yuri smiled and wiped her own eyes, "They saved my life back on the paradise planet, I will be forever grateful despite the fact they interrupted my honeymoon. Those two are heh, sorry, indeed brats, but ever so much as the brats we were when we started many years ago. I will miss them as well, I also hope whoever murdered them will be stopped. On a gentler note, with my child on the way, I am fortunate to go on with my life. Sadly, Riza and Jade will not have that chance, it is the one thing that hurts the most. Agents, please be careful and count your blessings," Yuri choked back some tears and backed away from the microphone. Both Robert and Kei put a hand upon her shoulders to comfort her.  
  
Chief Gooley walked back over as they wheeled away, "Thank you, Kei, Yuri, Robert, the space station memorial will be erected in a few days and a massive service will be held, I thank you all for coming, I pray for better days and for all those who have died to be at peace."  
  
"Peace?" a white cloaked individual walked along the sidewalk nearby the crowd of agents. "Heh, peace," it laughed in its own tormented way.  
  
--  
  
Back where Kei and Yuri have been living much of their lives now, Robert watered the lilies once again. It had been a few months and he was fortunate enough to find some more of those precious flowers. He was able to give them to Yuri this time as well. Yuri would give birth some time this month while Kei was given the bar all to herself now that she could run it well enough. Robert was promoted as well and added a zero to his pay checks. He ran a construction business with aims at surviving mass destruction possibly caused by the Dirty Pair.   
  
New Angels were commissioned, but they were not the best of the league anymore. They were now known as the Pigeons. They wouldn't cause massive destruction, but missions would often fail because of ridiculous circumstances. Things were not looking up in the 3WA. They did have hopes of training agents even further as technology continued to improve however.  
  
Kei walked into the apartment once again with another bag of groceries for the new week. "Pigeons, can you believe that the new set of Angels is being called Pigeons?" Kei tried not to laugh for whatever reason. Yuri was looking worse for wear, the baby was on the way indeed.  
  
"Yeah, heh, ow," Yuri tried to move a bit from her place on the bed. "What's for dinner?"  
  
"I brought pizza, rice, and tacos, what do you feel like?" Kei smiled. She would be an aunt soon. Maybe a god mother, she couldn't decide which was better. Then again she could be both.  
  
"Telegram for Mr. and Mrs. Suzuki," a man said from the door way, he slipped the message through the slot and walked away. Kei walked over and grabbed it.  
  
"It's from the 3WA," Kei said and opened it quickly. She read it slowly and all but dropped it upon the floor.  
  
"What is it?" Yuri asked from her bed.  
  
"We have to go, the planet's in danger and may not survive," Kei spoke dryly.  
  
"What!?" Yuri was nearly in shock at the statement.  
  
"The 3WA have informed us that whatever caused the space station to be destroyed and the Angels' deaths may have come here to this city. Entire buildings have been leveled already. United Galactica forces have been sent secretly along side 3WA investigators and their new branch which coincides with United Galactica troops. Some sort of hybrid force between the two," Kei explained as she walked over. She handed the letter to Yuri.  
  
"H-how am I going to leave? Wait, call Robert for me," Yuri tossed the letter aside.  
  
"Ok," Kei grabbed the phone and dialed up his cell phone.  
  
"Mr. Suzuki here, oh hello Kei," Robert spoke from his office. "Eh, that's not good, yeah I've heard about the buildings. Those weren't built by me, I can assure that. Leave? Yuri's in no condition to leave now and I have a job to run, I'm afraid we can't just leave unless there's an evacuation ordered."   
  
"But this is an evacuation order for the three of us!" Kei shouted. She understood the situation well enough. "I'll do what I can on this end, you take care over there, Robby," Kei hung up the phone.  
  
"What is it?" Yuri asked.  
  
"Robert insists we stay put until we have more information. I don't trust the situation frankly, we should leave as soon as we can, but," Kei looked over at Yuri laying there upon the bed.  
  
"What?"  
  
"This is horrid timing," Kei replied.  
  
--  
  
"Troops, surround that building, the perpetrator may have hidden inside!" the air commander ordered. A dozen heavily armed and armored battle suits rocketed off of the platform style cargo ship and onto the building. They landed upon the ground below as another force landed on the roof, they would storm the building with full prejudice. This demon was to be stopped without care for any civil rights.  
  
"Hey Rachael!" a woman with stark blonde hair shouted through the comlink upon her ear.  
  
"Yeah yeah, Volandia, I'll be right there," Rachael spoke as she rode her motorcycle up to the front lines. There the field commander known as Sheevus awaited them.  
  
"What the f, damn, they sent in the pigeons!?" he complained silently as they arrived.  
  
"Hey, Lovely Angels!" Rachael shouted as she got off her bike. Her partner walked over and awaited instructions from the field commander.  
  
"You will have your orders once we receive word from the troops," Sheevus stated. He was a stoic man with many honors, rather heavily built and wise. He was revered by his troops. Volandia stared at him in awe much to her partner's annoyance.  
  
At that moment the entire building exploded, collapsed and exploded again. Nothing was left. The troops were lost in the wreckage with hopes that their suits would protect them. Other troops quickly pulled the wreckage away despite the fact that the demon may still be nearby. Rachael almost knocked her bike over as her partner screamed in shock at the explosions. She couldn't stand women screaming and almost regretted being one.  
  
The ground shook once again with another massive explosion, the wreckage rose with a great force expelling all of the troops, dead or alive in every direction. Standing in the middle of the crater was a single being in a pristine white cloak.  
  
"Who are you!?" Sheevus shouted across the battlefield.  
  
"Dirty Pair," it spoke in a wretched steel voice as if it came from all directions.  
  
"What?" Rachael shouted in disbelief. "We're the Lo,"  
  
"Pigeons!" Volandia shouted, she read the situation rather well and decided to act upon it for a change. It would be best not to be associated with the angels or the dirty pair.  
  
"Pigeons!?" Rachael tackled her partner at the apparent betrayal, she wasn't angry enough to hurt her any though.  
  
"Pigeons?" the voice spoke again. It soon rose into the air and rocketed towards them. Troops fired off multiple blasts resulting in no damage. The cloak remained white as if that made any sense at all. It landed before the two rookies and looked through the hooded cloak which adorned its body. General Sheevus grabbed his revolver and shot at point blank range into the demon's head. No damage. He quickly got his arm torn from his body and himself blasted over the barricades.  
  
The two Angels stared in disbelief, "Please go away," Volandia squeaked. Both she and her partner were trembling in fear before the apparent immortal demon before them.  
  
"Dirty Pair," it spoke again.   
  
"P. Pigeons, that's our nick name," Rachael spoke hoping it watched the news.  
  
"Pigeons? Rookies, show me where the Dirty Pair are," it spoke.  
  
"We don't know," Volandia replied. She was still shaking.   
  
"Dirty Pair," it rose into the air and rocketed off far in the distance to another part of the city. The two angels collapsed onto the ground not caring that they were all tangled up in each other's limbs. They had been spared.   
  
--  
  
"This just in, entire blocks have been destroyed, thousands believed dead from an unknown machine rampaging through the city, in other news famed base ball player."   
  
Kei turned the TV off and fell into a chair. She would miss work today and maybe her job. At this rate she could lose her life. She could only imagine one force capable of such abilities and that one died on Nexus.  
  
"Yuri, we need to evacuate, with or without Robert," Kei pleaded.  
  
"I know, ow," Yuri muttered and breathed heavily.  
  
"You ok?"  
  
"I think so, oww dang it,"  
  
"Those better not be contraction," she sighed,   
  
Great, let's get to the hospital then. Ambulance would take forever, so I'll call a friend."  
  
"Alright."   
  
Kei could only smile at the sight of her friend, she went on with her life and she could still be a good part of it. She grabbed the phone and dialed.  
  
--  
  
"What? Most of the buildings that were destroyed were ours!?" Robert shouted.  
  
"I'm afraid so sir," a balding man replied. They were having an emergency meeting on the situation.  
  
"What the heck were they made out of?" Robert calmed down a bit, but he was still furious.  
  
"High grade steal and concrete, they were like bomb shelters with shock absorbers," he explained.  
  
"How did they collapse?" Robert was sweating now, he was afraid of the answer.  
  
"They didn't, they exploded from the inside,"  
  
"A super natural force then?"  
  
"We don't know what did it, but that may be a theory," he answered.  
  
"Great, I need to leave, take care, lock up when you are done," he got up and grabbed his coat on his way out. The business was one of the largest yet he always treated it as a corner store. This was one reason why people loved working for him.   
  
His phone started to ring, "Hello? AH Kei, alright, I'll meet you there, thank you," he hung it up and left for his car. 


End file.
